New Delhi, Aug 28 (Inditop.com) Skill development among women is essential and will boost their confidence, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Friday after launching a masters course in gender and developmental studies at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

She said there is a need for skill development among the fairer sex and “would instil confidence”.

The chief minister presented course material to students of the new course and inaugurated a Friday Seminar Series on Women in Power.

Dikshit referred to a report of International Labour Organisation (ILO) which reveals that women do 76 percent of total work in the world and hold just 0.01 percent of the assets.

“Their contribution has not been really evaluated. The woman has started getting out of her housewives role and risen to important positions,” she said.

She informed that the capital’s sex ratio had improved thank to the government’s Ladli scheme that aims at uplifting status of girl child.

“There was a big gender imbalance in Delhi which has improved after implementation of Ladli scheme. In 2008, 1,004 girl births were registered against 1,000 boy births in Delhi,” she said.

Dikshit also lauded union cabinet’s decision of to provide 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats.