IMF Chief: PM Modi needs to pay more attention to women’s issues

Describing the heinous murder and rape of a 8-year-old gild in a temple in Jammu’s Kathua as “revolting”, International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Christine Legarde suggested “Indian authorities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to pay more attention” to women’s safety.

Remembering the time when she last met PM Modi in Davos, Legarde said, “when I was last in Davos, after Prime Minister Moody’s speech, I did tell him that he had not mentioned the women of India enough. It is not just a question of talking about them.”

Christine, after a IMF press briefing on April 19, was answering a question, “ has this (India’s economic reforms) been inclusive enough to benefit the women of the country? I am asking you this question in the backdrop of the series of protests that have been going on in India for the outrageous gang rape against the 8-year-old girl.” However, she quickly clarified, “by the way, this is not an IMF official position. It is my position.”

She responded saying, “ what has happened is just revolting, and I would hope that the Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Moody, pay more attention, because it is needed for the women of India. When I was last in Davos, after Prime Minister Moody’s speech, I did tell him that he had not mentioned the women of India enough. It is not just a question of talking about them.”

Although Legarde praised the Modi government for economic moves like GST-- the implementation of which has been severely criticised by experts back home-- she said that the current economic condition may not improve in the country this year as this is the election year.

“I am not sure that we will be seeing in the next few months (any economic reforms) given the elections that are coming up, but we have seen and we are seeing major reforms that we had recommended and advocated for a long time, whether you talk about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), whether you talk about the reform of the bankruptcy law, those are good reforms,” she said.