New Delhi: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a National Workshop of Women Elected Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, where the “Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan” (सशक्त पंचायत-नेत्री अभियान) will be launched on 4 March 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event will be attended by Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S. P. Singh Baghel, and Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse. Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, along with representatives from various ministries, departments, SIRD&PRs, and international organisations like UNFPA and TRIF, will also participate.
The Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan is a strategic initiative designed to strengthen capacity-building interventions for women elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country. It aims to sharpen leadership skills, enhance decision-making capabilities, and reinforce their role in grassroots governance. Recognising the critical role of women in rural local governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has developed a roadmap to enhance their leadership and ensure their active participation in decision-making.
Ahead of International Women's Day, women representatives from all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions will, for the first time, come together on a national platform for meaningful and action-oriented discussions. More than 1,200 women Panchayat leaders from diverse backgrounds will take part in this initiative. A key feature of the event will be the recognition of outstanding women leaders from Panchayats across various states and Union Territories who have demonstrated exemplary work in rural self-governance. The workshop will also see the launch of specific training modules for capacity building, along with a primer on laws addressing gender-based violence and harmful practices for Panchayat elected representatives.
The National Workshop will feature panel discussions on key themes related to women's participation in local governance, including “Women’s Participation and Leadership in PRIs: Changing the Dynamics in Local Self-Governance,” which will explore how increased female representation is reshaping rural governance structures, and “Women-Led Local Governance: Sectoral Interventions by Women Elected Representatives,” covering critical areas such as health and nutrition, education, safety and security of women and girls, economic opportunities, and digital transformation. Senior officials chairing these discussions include Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Cultural performances celebrating women's achievements and resilience, organised by UNFPA, will add a vibrant element to the workshop, showcasing the rich cultural heritage that honours women's contributions to society.
This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, as highlighted in the 119th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, which emphasised the role of ‘Nari Shakti’ in nation-building. It reflects the government’s commitment to creating Gram Panchayats that are safer, inclusive, gender-sensitive, and socially just, fostering an environment that enables women and girls to thrive.
BI Bureau
