Prime Minister Narendra Modi with women during an event (Old image used for representative purposes)
For decades, women-centric government policies in Bharat largely focused on welfare and social protection. While these measures played an important role in addressing immediate vulnerabilities, they often viewed women primarily as beneficiaries of government assistance. Over the last twelve years, however, Bharat has witnessed a major policy shift. Women are no longer being seen merely as recipients of welfare but increasingly as active participants, leaders, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and contributors to economic growth.
This transformation shows a broader vision of development in which women occupy a central role in shaping India’s future. The transition from “women’s welfare” to “women-led development” has emerged as a defining feature of governance between 2014 and 2026.
The approach has been comprehensive and lifecycle-based. It begins with protecting the girl child before birth, ensuring access to nutrition, education, and healthcare during childhood and adolescence, creating opportunities for skill development and entrepreneurship in adulthood, and enabling participation in governance and leadership.
The impact of this shift is visible across sectors. More girls are completing school education, women are entering higher education and STEM disciplines in larger numbers, access to financial services has expanded and women are increasingly occupying positions of authority in public institutions and grassroots governance.
Protecting the girl child and strengthening maternal care
The foundation of women-led development begins at birth. Recognising that gender discrimination often starts before a girl child is born, the Government launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative in January 2015.
The programme sought to address declining child sex ratios, prevent gender-biased sex selection, and promote the survival, protection, and education of girls. Over the years, the campaign evolved beyond a government scheme and became a nationwide movement encouraging social and behavioural change.
The initiative combined strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act with awareness campaigns aimed at challenging deeply entrenched social biases against girls. Its impact is reflected in demographic indicators. The National Family Health Survey-5 recorded a sex ratio of 1,020 women for every 1,000 men, compared to 943 women per 1,000 men recorded in the 2011 Census.
Alongside protecting the girl child, maternal health emerged as another major focus area. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana introduced financial assistance for pregnant and lactating women, linking benefits to antenatal care, institutional delivery, and immunisation milestones. The scheme has benefited crores of women across India and has disbursed over Rs 20,000 crore in direct support.
The importance of such interventions becomes clear in stories like that of Rakchi Sangma from Meghalaya, whose access to financial assistance under PMMVY helped her secure proper nutrition and healthcare during pregnancy, ultimately leading to a safe institutional delivery.
Strengthening maternal healthcare and reducing mortality
A healthy pregnancy can determine not only the survival of the mother and child but also long-term developmental outcomes. Programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan have sought to ensure that pregnant women receive quality antenatal care.
Launched in 2016, PMSMA provides free antenatal check-ups on the ninth day of every month through government health facilities. Millions of women have benefited from the programme, and more than one crore high-risk pregnancies have been identified for targeted monitoring.
The success of maternal healthcare interventions is reflected in India’s declining Maternal Mortality Ratio. The ratio has fallen significantly from 130 deaths per lakh live births in 2014-15 to 88 deaths per lakh live births in 2021-23.
Complementary programmes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram have further encouraged institutional deliveries and ensured access to healthcare services for mothers and newborns.
The cumulative impact is evident. Institutional births have risen sharply, antenatal care coverage has expanded, and more women are receiving professional medical care during pregnancy than ever before.
Education as the gateway to empowerment
Education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming women’s lives. Since 2014, India’s educational reforms have focused not merely on enrolment but also on continuity, quality, and progression.
The National Education Policy 2020 has played a critical role in embedding gender inclusion across the education system. Through targeted interventions such as the Gender Inclusion Fund, flexible learning pathways, and multidisciplinary opportunities, the policy seeks to remove barriers that historically restricted girls’ educational journeys.
Schemes such as Samagra Shiksha have improved school infrastructure, access to digital learning, and retention rates. Schools today are significantly better equipped, with access to drinking water, separate toilets for girls, electricity, and libraries becoming nearly universal.
The impact is visible in enrolment figures. Female participation in school education has increased dramatically, with girls now accounting for nearly half of all students in the country.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas
One of the most impactful initiatives for disadvantaged girls has been the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya programme.
These residential schools provide educational opportunities for girls from socio-economically disadvantaged communities, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
The success stories emerging from these institutions illustrate the transformative power of education.
As per reports, Kumari Nidhi from Uttar Pradesh, who studied in a KGBV, went on to clear the UPSC Civil Services Examination and became a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Similarly, Archana Nishad progressed from school-level sports participation to representing India in the Under-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup-winning team.
These examples demonstrate how access to education can fundamentally alter life trajectories and open opportunities that once seemed unattainable.
Women in higher education and STEM
Historically, science and technology fields were dominated by men. Over the past decade, however, targeted interventions have encouraged more women to enter STEM disciplines.
The Vigyan Jyoti programme has provided mentoring, exposure to laboratories, workshops, and career guidance to over one lakh girls across India.
Additional seats in premier institutions such as IITs and NITs have helped increase women’s participation substantially. Women now account for a majority of UGC NET-JRF scholars in STEM-related subjects, reflecting a significant shift in academic participation.
These developments are helping create a generation of women scientists, engineers, innovators, and researchers who are contributing to India’s technological advancement.
Skills, employability and future-ready careers
Education alone does not guarantee economic empowerment. Skills and employability are equally important.
The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana has trained millions of individuals through industry-oriented programmes. Women constitute nearly half of the beneficiaries, reflecting increasing participation in workforce-oriented skill development.
The latest phase of the programme focuses on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, drones, green energy, and advanced electronics. This shift ensures that women are not confined to traditional occupations but gain access to future-ready careers.
The NAVYA initiative further strengthens this approach by specifically targeting adolescent girls and providing training in digital marketing, cybersecurity, AI-enabled services, and financial literacy.
Such interventions are preparing young women for a rapidly evolving digital economy.
Health, nutrition and dignity
Women’s empowerment extends beyond education and employment. It also requires ensuring health, nutrition, and dignity throughout life.
Ayushman Bharat has dramatically expanded healthcare access by providing financial protection against catastrophic medical expenses. Women account for nearly half of all beneficiaries and hospital admissions under the scheme.
The network of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs has brought primary healthcare closer to communities, including rural and tribal regions. These centres play an important role in maternal healthcare, reproductive health services, and disease screening.
Digital health initiatives under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission are further transforming healthcare delivery by enabling secure digital access to medical records and teleconsultations.
Simultaneously, Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 have strengthened nutrition support systems for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and young children. These programmes recognise that nutrition is foundational to both health and educational outcomes.
Bringing women into the formal economy
Financial independence remains one of the strongest indicators of empowerment.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana transformed financial inclusion by making banking services accessible to millions of women. Zero-balance accounts enabled women to enter the formal financial system and receive government benefits directly.
The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana encouraged long-term savings for girls’ education and future security, creating a culture of structured financial planning.
Together, these initiatives have helped millions of women gain control over financial resources and participate more actively in economic decision-making.
The Self-Help group revolution
Perhaps no initiative has had a deeper impact on rural women than the expansion of Self-Help Groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission.
What began as a model for collective savings has evolved into a nationwide movement supporting entrepreneurship, livelihoods, and community leadership.
Today, women SHGs have accessed enormous volumes of institutional credit, enabling investments in agriculture, livestock, micro-enterprises, and local businesses.
Community cadres such as Bank Sakhis, Krishi Sakhis, and Pashu Sakhis have emerged as important local resource persons, helping other women navigate financial and livelihood opportunities.
The SHG ecosystem has become a powerful instrument of social and economic transformation.
Lakhpati Didi and women entrepreneurs
Building on the success of SHGs, the Lakhpati Didi initiative aims to help women achieve annual incomes exceeding Rs 1 lakh.
The scale of the programme is unprecedented, covering millions of women across thousands of villages and panchayats.
At the same time, schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand-Up India, PM SVANidhi, and Womaniya on GeM have expanded opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Access to collateral-free loans, government procurement markets, mentorship, and digital platforms has enabled women to move from informal economic activities to structured enterprise creation.
Women are increasingly emerging not merely as workers but as employers and business leaders.
Technology, agriculture and rise of Drone Didis
One of the most striking examples of women-led development is visible in agriculture.
The Namo Drone Didi scheme has introduced advanced agricultural technology to women from Self Help Groups. Women are being trained to operate drones for fertiliser and pesticide application, creating entirely new livelihood opportunities.
This initiative challenges traditional assumptions about women’s roles in agriculture and demonstrates how technology can become a tool for empowerment.
Women who once performed labour-intensive farm work are now becoming skilled operators of cutting-edge equipment.
Women’s empowerment is closely linked to safety and dignity.
Mission Shakti has created an integrated framework for supporting women through One Stop Centres, Women Helplines, Nari Adalats, and other interventions.
These mechanisms provide immediate assistance to women facing violence, harassment, or distress while also strengthening institutional support systems.
Simultaneously, improvements in sanitation, housing, clean cooking fuel, and drinking water have transformed everyday life for millions of women.
The Swachh Bharat Mission eliminated open defecation on a massive scale, improving safety and dignity. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana reduced exposure to harmful indoor air pollution by expanding LPG access. Jal Jeevan Mission reduced the burden of fetching water, freeing time for education and productive activities.
For countless women, these interventions have translated into tangible improvements in daily living conditions.
Women in governance and leadership
The final stage of women-led development lies in leadership and decision-making.
Women today account for nearly half of India’s electorate and participate actively in elections. Their representation in Parliament and local governance institutions has steadily increased.
The transformation is particularly visible at the grassroots level, where more than 14.5 lakh women serve as elected representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
These leaders are influencing decisions related to drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, education, and local development.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, providing reservation for women in legislatures, represents another significant milestone in strengthening women’s political representation.
Meanwhile, the graduation of the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy marks a historic step towards greater gender inclusion in India’s armed forces.
Nari Shakti and the vision of Viksit Bharat
India’s journey over the past decade reflects more than the expansion of welfare programmes. It represents a broader reimagining of women’s role in society and development.
The shift from welfare to women-led development is evident in every stage of the lifecycle. Girls are staying in school longer, women are entering higher education and STEM fields, entrepreneurs are building businesses, SHGs are transforming rural economies, and women leaders are shaping governance.
The cumulative impact extends beyond individual beneficiaries. Empowered women contribute to stronger families, more resilient communities, and more productive economies.
As India moves towards its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, women are no longer on the margins of development. They are increasingly at its centre.
The story of modern India’s development is, in many ways, becoming the story of its women. From classrooms and laboratories to village councils, start-ups, farms, and defence academies, Nari Shakti is emerging as one of the most powerful forces shaping the nation’s future.
The transition from welfare to leadership, from support to participation, and from inclusion to empowerment reflects a deeper transformation taking place across India. It is a transformation that is not merely changing women’s lives but redefining the trajectory of the nation itself.
