Addressing a three-day exhibition organised by the Business Women Committee of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce, Kodnani said Gujarat is faced with two major challenges — 40 per cent literacy rate among girls and 47 per cent malnutrition among children — that need immediate attention.

She made a strong appeal to the women in the committee to come forward and help spread literacy among girls and assist deprived women achieve progress in their lives.

She emphasised on the need for taking advantage of the MoUs worth Rs 12.5 lakh crore signed during the recent investors’ summit. “We will have to train skilled manpower in order to take full advantage of these MoUs,” Kodnani said.

Referring to the linking of a record 13,693 villages of Gujarat to Internet, she said, “This is the second largest such network in the world.”

In her bid to encourage women in the committee, she said, “All women have the ability, ambition and creativity to improve their lot, but they lack proper guidance and platform. It is the duty of society to help such women.”

She criticised the ‘influence’ of western culture on society and urged the members to come out of the values of western culture and understand what Indian women really need.