Society for Empowerment Hosts Webinar on 'Women-Friendly Panchayats

Metro Mat News ( Chetan Sharma New Delhi ) On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Society for Empowerment organized an online roundtable discussion on the theme "Women-Friendly Panchayats in India.
" The event brought together eminent speakers and stakeholders from various sectors to discuss the importance of making grassroots governance systems more inclusive and safe for women. The event began with an inaugural speech by Mrs. Shobha Kujur, who provided a contextual background for the discussion. This was followed by a keynote address from Professor Debaraj Bhattacharya of Azim Premji University, emphasizing the need to empower women in governance and rural development. Retired IAS officer Mr. N. N. Pandey also shared his insights. The session was chaired by senior scholar Dr. Sachindra Narayan, who guided the discussion effectively.The central focus of the discussion was to define and strengthen women-friendly panchayats, ensuring that women and girls feel safe and have full access to their rights. The discussion highlighted that under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, women have been provided with 33% reservation in gram panchayats, which has been increased to 50% in 17 states. Additionally, Self Help Groups (SHGs) have played a crucial role in empowering women. As of January 31, 2025, 90.90 lakh SHGs have connected over 10.05 crore families.The role of Mahila Sabha in increasing women's participation in Gram Sabha was also emphasized. Participants discussed the importance of integrating localizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into panchayat-level planning to promote women-friendly governance. However, challenges such as the lack of clear understanding of complex indicators, limited decision-making freedom, and weak coordination with government departments were noted. To overcome these challenges, it was suggested that there should be better coordination between panchayats and government departments, regular training programs for bureaucrats and panchayat officials, the formation of women’s collective groups, and greater involvement of civil society organizations. Additionally, the 'Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan,' aimed at empowering women leaders, needs to be expanded to the block level. The success of this initiative will require strong collaboration among central ministries, state governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The Society for Empowerment reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening inclusive governance, enhancing policy support, increasing financial assistance, and building grassroots capacities to create safer and more inclusive panchayats for women across India.

इस ब्लॉग से लोकप्रिय पोस्ट

अहिंसा परमो धर्मः परंतु सेवा भी परमो धर्म है :- आचार्य प्रमोद कृष्णम

भीषण गर्मी के कारण अधिवक्ता रामदयाल पांडे की हुई मौत

हर्षोल्लास से सम्पन्न हुई महकपाल सिंह जयन्ती-समारोह