Making up almost half the country’s population, women still represent a staggering majority of the country’s poor. Despite rigorous efforts, time and again, the outcome remains bleak. Statistics of the World Economic Forum show that India still stands at a low 108 out of the 149 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index, which is a clear indicator of the severity of this problem. Many careers have been ruined and many a dream shattered. Much ink has been spilled, with a few voices becoming a million voices, but gender-based apartheid still continues to plague the Indian dogma. The quest for gender equality does not cease to exist, giving rise to the dire need of women empowerment. Over the years, this subject has become one of the most blazing issues across the length and breadth of the country. Summing up this problem and one of its root causes, the well-known industrialist Sanjay Dalmia says, “In a number of cases, women are not aware of the potential they harbor within themselves. Right mentoring and guidance is all that they need to be motivated and realize their capabilities.” However, the question arises — what role does women empowerment play in ending global poverty? A number of studies show that when women belong to poor sections of society, their rights are exploited or denied in most cases. They tend to face the issues which are extraordinarily difficult to overcome. Likewise, when men and women both suffer in poverty, women have far fewer resources to cope, as compared to men.  Access to basic amenities remains out of their reach.  Simply put, these inequalities between men and women act as a major roadblock in the nation’s overall development and prosperity. As an effective medium for bridging the gap, Sanjay Dalmia advocates the idea of women entrepreneurship, focusing on the dire need of promoting it on a large scale. “>Women entrepreneurship is potent enough to make a major contribution to the economic well-being of the family, community and the country as a whole,” he says. “In empowering women through entrepreneurship lies a pragmatic solution to mitigate gender disparities, making their voices heard in the society,” quips the maverick entrepreneur. Becoming all the more cognizant about their role and economic status in the society, women can hone their hidden entrepreneurial potential. Moreover, by making inroads in the economic arena, they can make well-informed decisions concerning their families, communities and the country as a whole. Two simple yet powerful words — ‘Women empowerment’ can make a major difference in a country’s economic development and progress. Needless to say, anything which can contribute to nation building and fill in the ‘gaps’ assumes paramount importance in every aspect.