The Ministry of Panchayati Raj recently organised a one-day National Conference of Women Elected Representatives (WERs) of Panchayats in New Delhi under the Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan. The conference marks one year since the launch of the Sashakt Panchayat–Netri Abhiyan and aims to strengthen women-led grassroots governance in India.
About Conference
It will serve as a national platform to recognise and empower women leaders in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
Key objectives include:
- Strengthening leadership and decision-making capacity of women representatives.
- Promoting best practices in women-led local governance.
- Encouraging gender-responsive governance at the grassroots level.
Key Highlights of Conference
- Recognition of Women Leaders: Outstanding Beacon Women Panchayat Leaders, identified by State and Union Territory governments, will be honoured for exemplary leadership in local governance.
- Release of Knowledge Resources: It will also witness the launch of several important documents, including:
- Compendium of Best Practices of Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats
- Stories of Transformation highlighting women as agents of change in rural governance
- Documentation of Nirbhaya initiatives of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- These resources aim to share successful governance models and inspire women leaders across the country.
Background: Sashakt Panchayat–Netri Abhiyan
- The Sashakt Panchayat–Netri Abhiyan was launched in March 2025 in New Delhi by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- The programme is a targeted capacity-building initiative designed to empower Women Elected Representatives (WERs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
- It focuses on strengthening:
- Leadership skills
- Governance participation
- Decision-making authority of women at the grassroots level.
- It is implemented under the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
- Achievements in 2025–26
- 7,18,434 Women Elected Representatives trained.
- 1,21,512 WERs capacitated, including master trainers.
- Training is conducted under a specialised module titled: “Championing Change: Empowering Women Leaders in Local Governance and Beyond.”
- Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats: Under it, 744 Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats have been identified across 32 States/UTs
- Monitoring Mechanism: Dedicated dashboards track progress on key indicators such as:
- Women’s participation in governance
- Health and nutrition outcomes
- Education and skill development
- Economic opportunities
- Safety and security