ROLE OF WOMEN IN VIKSIT BHARAT

ROLE OF WOMEN IN VIKSIT BHARAT

As the world transitions to a more inclusive era, women in India are also shaping its growth story and future. With India being a signatory to major international treaties like Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, Women Empowerment and Equality from the basis of India’s policy framework. 

With India announcing its own theme of ‘Nari Shakti Se Viksit Bharat’, the goal is to shift from Women’s Development to Women-Led Development. 

GENDER FOCUSED ALLOCATION IN THE UNION BUDGET 

The recent budget saw a significant rise in gender-focused allocations, which constitute 8.86% of the total budget in 2025 -26. This record allocation is focused on empowering women and girls through various targeted initiatives. Women entrepreneurs have been recognised as an important driving force behind India’s economic progress. The Budget reinforces this through targeted financial support and skill-building programs to build an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

EDUCATION 

Education is the key to women’s empowerment and economic independence and India has taken several initiatives to ensure equitable education, such as Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and Eklavya Model Residential Schools. 

Additionally, 42.57% of total STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) enrolments are women, indicating that more women are entering the field and breaking barriers. 

ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION 

Women’s participation in the workforce is a key driver of economic growth. Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) has increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24, showing enhanced participation of women from rural and urban areas. 

Initiatives such as Mudra Yojana, Skill India, Start-Up India and Stand-Up India have played a critical role in fostering entrepreneurship, providing skill training and supporting women to create self-reliant livelihoods. 

In this digital era, access to technology and digital literacy are also crucial for women’s socio-economic progress. Initiatives like PMGDISHA (Prime Minister’s Digital Saksharta Abhiyan), Common Service Centres (CSCs) and SANKALP Hubs for Women Empowerment have helped provide more than 60 million rural citizens training in digital literacy and 67,000 women entrepreneurs. 

ROLE OF CII 

The CII National Committee on Women Empowerment has been instrumental in strengthening women’s role and participation in the industry and economic sphere. Their work on gender equality at the workplace, prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace and women empowerment at the community level have helped create a more conducive work environment for women to thrive in. Indian Women Network (IWN), a wing of CII is also working on enabling women to become better professionals and achievers by providing a supportive network, a platform to learn and avenues to grow. 

Additionally, The CII Centre on Women Leadership is a permanent secretariat committed to driving the entry, retention, and growth of women as leaders within the economy. 

With almost 50% population in India being women, achieving Viksit Bharat is impossible without equal and sustainable participation of women. As India moves forward and carves a name in the global world, Nari Shakti will continue to be a bedrock on which a self-reliant and prosperous Bharat is built.