Lalitpur, Feb. 27 :Mrs. Miyalli Rokaya of Ward No. 4 Simikot vdc of Humla district has, for the first time in her life, got an opportunity to take part in a workshop held in the capital.

The sixty four-year-old Mrs. Rokaya is participating in a workshop in her capacity as Humla district president of women awareness and income generating programme run from the current fiscal year under the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.

Equipped with the experience and knowledge gained from the workshop, Mrs. Rokaya says, she would help women in her district improve their standard of living.

Inaugurating the two-day workshop organised for district coordination committee chairpersons and member-secretaries of the programme here today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Communications Ramchandra Poudel said the women awareness and income generating programme has been introduced with the objective of raising socio-economic and political status of rural and backward women.

He also said that the government would gradually increase financial assistance for the implementation of the programme.

Minister of State for Women and Social Welfare Mrs. Kamala Pant said the programme has been launched to help the commitment made by the Nepali Congress during elections materialize.

Secretary at the ministry Urmila Shrestha said the programme gives special emphasis to poverty alleviation by including women in the development mainstream.

Under secretary Ananta Rizal, ex-mp uma Adhikari, ex- member of the National Planning Commission Dr. Balgopal Vaidya and other speakers also shed light on the importance of the programme.