Passage Summary and Main Idea

The provided passage highlights the crucial link between women's participation and a nation's development. It argues that development is impossible without involving women and that eliminating gender discrimination is key to unlocking their full potential. The passage emphasizes that women's contributions are vital for developing the family, the nation, and the world. It further reinforces this point by quoting Kofi Annan, who stated that gender equality is not just a goal but a fundamental requirement for addressing challenges like poverty, promoting sustainable development, and ensuring good governance.

Analyzing the Options for Main Idea

Let's break down each option to see how well it represents the central theme of the passage:

• Option 1: Steps to be taken to ensure Women Education - While education is important for women's empowerment, the passage's scope is broader. It talks about participation and potential unlocked by removing discrimination, not just the steps for education itself.
• Option 2: Importance has to be given to reduce gender discrimination - This option directly captures the core message. The passage explicitly states that eliminating gender discrimination allows women to deliver their potential and is a prerequisite for development and good governance. This aligns perfectly with the text's emphasis.
• Option 3: Strong measures have to be taken to stop Sexual Harassment of Women - Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination, but the passage discusses the broader concept of discrimination and its impact on development. This option is too specific to be the main idea.
• Option 4: Need for the employment Generation Programmes for Women - Employment is one way women can participate, but the passage's main point is about removing the barrier of discrimination to enable broader participation and contribution, not solely focusing on job creation programs.

Conclusion on Main Idea

The passage consistently emphasizes that removing barriers, specifically gender discrimination, is essential for women to contribute fully, which in turn is necessary for national development and achieving global goals like poverty reduction and sustainability. Therefore, giving importance to reducing gender discrimination is the most accurate representation of the passage's main idea.