Jaipur, Jan 20 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday said the government will make all amendments in the law needed to ensure more safety for women and added that women should be encouraged to come out in public places.

"To increase the status of women in society, it is important that we encourage women to come to public places and we must ensure that there is full safety for them in those places," the prime minister said at the All India Congress Committee meet here.

"This is our responsibility to create an atmosphere in which women feel safe," he said.

"After a recent terrible incident with a woman in Delhi, there has been a lot of discussion on the condition of women in our society. This is true it will take us a long journey before we have equal status for both women and men in our society. But women are half of our population. Their participation is very important for our growth," he said.

A change in social mindset towards women was also needed, the prime minister said.

"Whatever change in law is needed for this, we are committed to it. But this will not be enough. We will have to change our social values so that respect for women in society increases," he said.