The National Convention on Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats was organized by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi on 5th March, 2025, with an aim to establish at least one Model Gram Panchayat in each District in the country that is both women and girl friendly. The national convention, held as part of the International Women’s Day 2025 celebrations, witnessed participation from over 1500 elected representatives and officials from selected Gram Panchayats across the country in physical and virtual mode. The event was graced by Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel and Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel. Senior officials of the ministry including Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary and Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary along with representatives from various Ministries/Departments, State Institutes of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PRs), and international organizations, including United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also participated in the event. The National Convention unveiled initiatives including Virtual Training Programs for Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats and a comprehensive Real-Time Monitoring Dashboard for gauging the progress of these women friendly gram panchayats in India. This digital platform is a technological intervention to measure, analyze, and improve women's participation and welfare at the grassroots level. The dashboard promises real-time insights and data-driven interventions to support women leaders in the country.

In her address, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Patel presented a comprehensive overview of several health initiatives of the central government designed to support women and children. She said that women elected representatives have a key role in ensuring that schemes of the central government reach the most vulnerable. The Union Minister of State highlighted that there is a Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Committee, present in every Gram Panchayat that makes a robust framework for community health. The Ayushman Aarogya Mandir offers 12 types of medical services, including geriatric care, dental care, screening for various diseases including cancer, telemedicine etc. She said that women pradhans need to actively educate their panchayats about these initiatives of the government such that maximum people can benefit. Smt. Anupriya Patel also laid emphasis on programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram that focus on maternal and child health, promoting institutional deliveries and establishing a culture of safe motherhood. She said that Panchayat-level collaboration is crucial in ensuring the success of health-related initiatives at village level, reinforcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sashakt Mahila, Sashakt Panchayat leads to Sashakt Bharat”.

Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel announced the selection of 770 Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats i.e. one Model Gram Panchayat in each District, for specialized training for development of leadership skills. Prof. Baghel urged women gram pradhans to take the lead in implementing central government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti  Bima yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima yojana, pension schemes for widows and divyanjan, Ayushman Bharat and initiatives like organ donation etc.

Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj emphasized that the Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat initiative represents an intensive, result-oriented intervention to advance women and girls participation in all spheres of life. Shri Bharadwaj stressed that women are inherently capable of taking leadership roles and pursuing their aspirations, calling on society and Panchayats to create supportive ecosystems that enable women to fully utilize their potential for national growth. Drawing inspiration from successful regional gram panchayat models in Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan, Dr. Deepa Prasad, Chief of Programmes, UNFPA, highlighted the pivotal role of local governance in ensuring women's protection and empowerment. She highlighted Kerala’s Jagratha Samithi, a vigilance committee dedicated to safeguarding women and children, Odisha’s initiatives aimed at preventing social evils such as child marriage, and UNFPA’s collaboration with the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Department to develop women-friendly and child-friendly Gram Panchayats. This National Convention marks a significant step further from women-centric towards women-led development, reflecting the progress made over the past eleven years. A key milestone in this journey has been the enactment of the Women's Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), a landmark legislation ensuring greater participation of women in policy-making along with basic initiatives like providing toilets, clean fuel, menstrual hygiene, education, nutrition etc. that comprehensively address a woman’s basic needs. A nationwide Mahila Gram Sabha is scheduled to be organized on 8th March 2025 in all Gram Panchayats across the country. This will serve as a platform for furthering the objectives of the Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat initiative at the grassroots level, reinforcing the commitment to gender equality and sustainable rural development.

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Aditi Agrawal