From 2014, women-led development

The last seven years have not just seen women helm prominent leadership roles in the government but in many spheres that were otherwise considered male bastions. The role of Indian women in combat roles within the armed forces and their continued effort to push barriers in the corporate world, especially as successful entrepreneurs by building unicorns, is now being acknowledged globally. The recent Olympic games saw our women athletes bring in accolades in sporting disciplines that required strength, stamina and speed — an area that was earlier perceived to be a weakness.

While some naysayers would like to look at this as anecdotal data, empirical evidence also points to a systematic improvement in several indicators including access to opportunities for women. India’s sex ratio at birth (SRB) has increased from 918 in 2014-2015 to 937 in 2021. Coupled with an increased life expectancy, the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS) has revealed that India’s overall sex ratio has more women than men – 1,020 women for 1,000 men. In the NFHS of 2015-2016 the sex ratio at birth stood at 991 women for 1000 men. Therefore, the ridicule and scorn heaped on the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign by some intellectuals and commentators was totally unjustified as initiatives such as #SelfieWithDaughter actually brought about the much-needed behavioural changes towards the birth and the rights of girl children. This multifaceted campaign is gradually and consistently reinforcing change by inspiring parents to no longer see their daughters as financial burdens.

The massive focus on nutrition, health, and education are aimed at strengthening the underlying fundamentals that are required for structural changes. Schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) helped meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women and new mothers and at the same time, helped compensate for any income loss. More than 2.5 crore women have so far enrolled and benefitted from the programme. Similarly, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) have worked to break through the numerous social barriers that women face. At the same time, these programmes have remarkably improved health and sanitation facilities with more than 10 crore toilets being built in rural areas alone and 9 crore women securing LPG connections.

Just as we’ve seen an improvement in the lives of women, there has been an effort to improve and increase the livelihood opportunities for women. Since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in 2015, 25 crore women have been given access to financial services and instruments such as bank accounts, credit, insurance and pensions. This has opened up a new world of opportunities and financial security by bringing women into the formal financial system. The unprecedented focus on women entrepreneurship through schemes such as MUDRA Yojana, Stand Up India and Start Up India has nudged women to become drivers of their own destiny. That close to 70 per cent of the MUDRA loan accounts belong to women and are a testimonial to this fact. Landmark initiatives such as increasing the paid maternity leaves to 26 weeks and the recently-implemented Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 sets the path for the presence of women in all establishments covering all types of work.

All these changes lead us back in time to the story of the asura king Mahishasura in our Puranas. The demon king’s arrogance while asking Brahma to grant him the boon of immortality wished to not be killed by god, man, or animal. However, out of arrogance, Mahishasura deemed it unimportant to not mention women. When this was revealed, while Mahishasura was playing havoc with the devas, the three goddesses Parvati, Laxmi and Saraswati merged into one Adishakti, Durga. The trinity of gods — Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma — equipped Goddess Durga with the trident, the Sudarshan Chakra, and the kamandalam of holy water and wisdom respectively. In this battle of good against evil, Mahishasura was vanquished.

The deep-rooted evils in today’s world that inhibit women’s progress and development are being battled in a similar manner to the battle that was waged against Mahishasura. Since 2014, policies and initiatives aimed at bettering the lives and livelihoods of women have been holistic taking a multidisciplinary approach. This is similar to the coming together of the goddesses and the gods to defeat Mahishasura.

International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the distance covered and renew our pledge to continue on this journey. The policies and schemes have been designed with a fundamental objective of equipping women by creating opportunities, building an enabling environment and effecting a qualitative change in the mindset of society at large. These have been the three fundamental pillars of this new paradigm of women’s empowerment. It is these principles that have led to a paradigm shift in the outcomes for women’s empowerment. The term no longer signifies an act of supporting the weak and vulnerable but curating leaders, change makers of tomorrow and architects of a New India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famed slogan – “from women’s development to women led-development” — captures this very essence.

The writer is the Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of Northeastern Region