New Delhi: Over the past eleven years, India has witnessed a transformation in the status and empowerment of women. What began as a set of welfare measures under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2014 has now evolved into a nationwide movement, a revolution placing women at the very centre of the nation’s development journey.
The approach has shifted from women’s development to women-led development, empowering women not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders, innovators and decision-makers.
हमारी माताओं-बहनों और बेटियों ने वो दौर भी देखा है, जब उन्हें कदम-कदम पर मुश्किलों का सामना करना पड़ता था। लेकिन आज वे ना सिर्फ विकसित भारत के संकल्प में बढ़-चढ़कर भागीदारी निभा रही हैं, बल्कि शिक्षा और व्यवसाय से लेकर हर क्षेत्र में मिसाल कायम कर रही हैं। बीते 11 वर्षों में… pic.twitter.com/waTFeW5M9I
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 8, 2025
NDA govt redefined women-led development in 11 years, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday tweeted, “Over the last 11 years, the NDA Government has redefined women-led development. Various initiatives, from ensuring dignity through Swachh Bharat to financial inclusion via Jan Dhan accounts, the focus has been on empowering our Nari Shakti. Ujjwala Yojana brought smoke-free kitchens to several homes. MUDRA loans enabled lakhs of women entrepreneurs to pursue dreams on their own terms. Houses under the women’s name in PM Awas Yojana too have made a remarkable impact. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ignited a national movement to protect the girl child.
Over the last 11 years, the NDA Government has redefined women-led development.
Various initiatives, from ensuring dignity through Swachh Bharat to financial inclusion via Jan Dhan accounts, the focus has been on empowering our Nari Shakti. Ujjwala Yojana brought smoke-free… https://t.co/FAETIjNJKk
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 8, 2025
He also shared a video on X, stating, “Our mothers, sisters and daughters have seen the times when they had to face difficulties at every step. But today they are not only participating actively in the resolution of a developed India, but are also setting examples in every field from education to business. The successes of our Nari Shakti in the last 11 years are going to make the countrymen proud.”
Empowerment at every stage of life
The government has adopted a life-cycle-based strategy to empower women from childhood to old age, combining legal safeguards, social schemes, financial access, and education. Programmes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mission Shakti, and the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam have created enabling environments for women to grow and lead. Today, women are not just participating in governance, defence, and entrepreneurship, they are leading it.
Health and nutrition
At the core of women’s empowerment is health. The Mission POSHAN 2.0, backed by Rs 1.81 lakh crore, has integrated nutrition and health for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children. With digital innovations like the Poshan Tracker, the government monitors real-time progress in tackling malnutrition. Thousands of Anganwadi centres have been upgraded under the Saksham Anganwadi programme to provide better early education and care.
Initiatives like Janani Suraksha Yojana, SUMAN, and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram have helped millions of women access quality maternity and neonatal care, especially in rural and underserved regions.
Sanitation, housing and clean energy
From building over 12 crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission to ensuring tap water connections for 15.6 crore households under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Modi government has tackled everyday challenges that previously stripped women of dignity and safety.
Through the PM Awas Yojana, Gramin, 73% of the 2.75 crore beneficiaries are women. The Ujjwala Yojana has provided over 10 crore LPG connections, freeing women from the health risks of smoky kitchens and empowering them to make healthier choices for their families.
Education and financial security
The enrollment of girls in schools has risen significantly, with the sex ratio at birth also improving from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, which recently completed a decade, has helped over 4.2 crore families secure the future of their daughters.
Financial empowerment has seen major progress through schemes like the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, where 68% of over 52 crore loan accounts were sanctioned to women. Under Stand-Up India, 83% of sanctioned loans went to women entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, has enabled over 1.48 crore rural women to earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually through the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
Women’s safety and legal rights
Mission Shakti programme ensures women’s safety through One Stop Centres, women helplines, and the SHe-Box digital platform for workplace harassment complaints. Over 10 lakh women have received help through these services.
Legal reforms have also given women stronger protection and rights. The abolition of Triple Talaq, raising the legal marriage age to 21, 26-week maternity leave, and equal property rights in Jammu and Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 35A are all landmark changes that empower women legally and socially.
Women breaking barriers
Women have also made several achievements in defence and science. With permanent commissions in the armed forces, admissions in Sainik Schools, and the first batch of women NDA cadets graduating, the defence sector has opened its doors wide to women. In science, Indian women were at the forefront of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and the country now leads globally in women graduates in STEM fields.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which reserves 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, marks a new constitutional era for political empowerment.
