New Delhi: The International Women’s Day (IWD) is being observed worldwide on Sunday to honour the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
As 2026 IWD theme calls for a ‘Give to Gain’ global campaign to promote teamwork and cohesion for building a just and supportive society for women and girls, this reflects and resonates in India’s own story of women empowerment, as over the years, Nari Shakti has become the cornerstone of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
In the past few years, particularly in the past decade, the government’s approach has evolved from development for women to women-led development, thus identifying their potential and making them as key drivers of economic and social progress.
From schemes like Lakhpati Didi programme to NaMo Drone Didi Yojana to Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and many more, the women-centric schemes defined government’s priorities and focus on making them key component of India growth story.
Many government flagship schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission formed the foundational programmes but have turned out to be the biggest change-makers.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, more than 10.56 crore LPG connections have been provided to women, reducing exposure to air pollution and improving their health and dignity.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in August 2019, expanded rural tap water coverage from 16.72 per cent to over 81.57 per cent of households, reducing the time and effort women often spent fetching water.
The Swachh Bharat Mission enabled construction of over 12 crore toilets, improving sanitation, enhancing privacy and dignity for women, and contributing to better public health outcomes.
Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), millions of women have moved from unpaid labour to organised enterprise. Today, as per estimates, more than 10 crore rural households are engaged in over 90 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Lakhpati Didi programme enabled women to scale sustainable livelihoods by launching their own enterprise.
Under the Drone Didi Yojana, the Self-Help Groups are operating agricultural drones, not just enhancing their incomes but also integrating rural women into emerging technology ecosystems. Under this, they get 80 per cent subsidy for procurement and a Rs 1,261 crore allocation targeting 15,000 SHGs.
Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, launched in 2015, more than 52 crore loans has been sanctioned worth Rs 32.61 lakh crore, and 68 per cent of the beneficiaries comprise women.
Women constitute about 56 per cent of Jan Dhan account holders, while Stand-Up India has supported over 2.01 lakh women entrepreneurs in establishing greenfield enterprises. Other initiatives like Womaniya on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) are helping women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups connect directly with government buyers.
About 45 per cent of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana beneficiaries are women while under the Start-up India, 75,000 women-led startups are being supported.
For making women equal partners in public and professional spaces, the regulations like Mission Shakti and POSH Act have proved effective in addressing the long-standing discrimination and partisan practices.
Under Mission Shakti, institutional mechanisms like One Stop Centres, the Women Helpline, and platforms like SHe-Box provide medical, legal and counselling support to women in distress.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) ensures safe working environments across public and private sectors. This has not strengthened accountability at the workplace but also reinforced women’s right to work with dignity.
Today, the focus on women upliftment and their participation in country’s growth index remains at the core of policy-making.
Millions of women are part of self-help groups, many are leading multi-national companies while many marginalised are being introduced into financial systems to explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
This year’s budget is also one of the highest ‘gender budget’ as about 9 percent of the Union Budget has been directed toward programmes advancing gender equality, says a government report.
Across sectors, Rs 5.01 lakh crore has been earmarked by 53 Ministries/Departments and 5 Union Territories, reflecting a shift from symbolic inclusion to sustained investment in women’s development.
(IANS)
