Shahjahan Begum was a fearless grassroots activist who transformed personal tragedy into a lifelong mission to fight violence against women and empower marginalized girls through education and collective action. Shahjahan Begum (1942–2013) is a leading figure in the Indian women’s movement. From her working-class neighbourhood, she spoke up, calling out violence and abuse, rampant within…
The G20 Social Summit in Brasilia is pushing for a “Universal Care Floor” to formally recognize unpaid care work. This policy could transform millions of caregivers—especially women—by integrating them into social protection systems and redefining how societies value care. Take a moment to think, about the first person who woke up in your home today….
The Odisha government transferred over ₹5,000 crore to more than 1.02 crore women under the Subhadra Yojana on International Women’s Day, providing ₹5,000 each through Direct Benefit Transfer to promote women’s financial independence. The scheme supports women aged 21–60 with ₹10,000 annually in two instalments to strengthen economic security and financial inclusion across Odisha. The…
At the Commission on the Status of Women 70th Session, the United Nations warned that women worldwide hold only 64% of the legal rights enjoyed by men, highlighting persistent gender inequality in global laws. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged governments to remove discriminatory nationality laws and turn legal equality for women from promises into real…
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the Asia-Pacific Women Judges Network (APWJN) to strengthen women’s leadership in the judiciary and promote gender equality in justice systems. The initiative will support women judges through collaboration, training, and data sharing, helping address structural barriers and gender bias in courts across…
The Union Budget 2026–27 significantly increases Gender and Child Budgeting, allocating around ₹5 lakh crore for women and ₹1.32 lakh crore for child welfare to strengthen nutrition, early childhood care, and social protection. However, concerns remain about effective fund utilization, monitoring, and implementation gaps that may limit real impact. Gender and child budgeting has emerged…
Telangana launches MoUs to empower orphaned youth with aviation and polytechnic skills, supports girls’ employability via FICCI FLO, and enhances early childhood education through Azim Premji University training for Anganwadi teachers. The Government of Telangana on Monday announced a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at empowering orphaned youth with industry-ready skills and upgrading…
The Union Budget has unveiled a major push for India’s biopharmaceutical sector through a new initiative called BioPharma SHAKTI, backed by an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years. The government wants to help India move beyond making low-cost generic medicines and become a global hub for advanced biological drugs and biosimilars. These are complex…
As we step into 2026, we take a moment to reflect back on the milestones that defined the year gone by—moments that recognised partnerships rooted in purpose. The most significant moments was the 36th edition of the Devi Awards, held at ITC Maratha in New Delhi. It honoured 12 distinguished women for their exceptional contributions…
As the country moves towards its long-term goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, women empowerment is a key component of India’s developmental strategy. A society anchored by the fundamental ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity, defending the rights of women is not only a policy objective but a moral and national obligation. The Government of India,…
