Indian women peacekeepers praised

New York, Sept. 28 (PTI): An all-woman peace-keeping force from India deployed in Liberia has come in for huge praise at a meeting of an international panel of women leaders headed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice here today.

The peace-keeping force has been on the job in the African nation for the last one year, winning appreciation of locals and even inspiring the women there to join the security forces, the meeting, in which Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury represented India, was told.

"The local people are all praise for the all-woman peace-keeping force, that especially guards against violence on women and children," Chowdhury told PTI after the meeting.

She said around 200 women in the African country have enrolled in the security forces taking inspiration from the Indian women.

The Third Meeting of Women Leaders' Working Group convened by Rice discussed women's issues such as education, political and economic empowerment and access to justice.

Source: www.hinduonnet.com