Women empowerment is crucial to India's growth: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasised that women's empowerment is vital to India's growth, highlighting a shift in societal perspective where women are no longer limited to traditional roles. Instead, they are recognised as key drivers of progress, contributing significantly to the nation's development.
The BJP-led NDA government at the centre released a book highlighting its achievements in empowering women over the last 11 years.
As the NDA completes its 11 years in government, the book highlights various key schemes, such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
"Driven by a bold, inclusive, and lifecycle-based approach, the government has launched targeted interventions in health, education, housing, digital access, sanitation, and financial inclusion. 'Nari Shakti' is now a national mission, empowering every woman--urban or rural, young or elderly--to live with dignity, safety, and self-reliance," the book reads.
It said that for generations, Indian women faced systemic barriers--limited access to education, healthcare, employment, and decision-making, especially in rural and marginalised communities. Still, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, a historic shift has taken place since 2014. Women are no longer seen as passive beneficiaries but as empowered agents of change, central to India's growth story.
Women are leading self-help groups, launching businesses, breaking barriers in science, defence, and sports, and shaping the nation's future. Women and children comprise nearly 67.7 per cent of India's population, the report said, adding that their empowerment is not just social reform--it's a strategic imperative. As India enters Amrit Kaal, Nari Shakti stands as the unstoppable force driving a stronger, more inclusive nation forward.
"Empowerment isn't a singular event -- it is a journey. The Modi government's policies reflect this reality through programmes designed to support women through every phase of life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again reiterated that a nation can progress only when its women are equally empowered. Over the last 11 years, the Government of India has adopted a comprehensive, lifecycle-based policy framework to empower women across social, economic, political, and legal domains," the book noted.
The book further underlined the government's efforts to reduce violence and discrimination against women, providing a constitutional safeguard.
"From constitutional safeguards and landmark laws against violence and discrimination, to transformative schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mission Shakti, and movements like the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the focus has shifted from women's development to women-led development," the book said.
Further stressing the steps taken for women's education: "Women's participation has surged in education, especially in STEM--skilling, entrepreneurship through Self-Help Groups, and public service. Legal reforms and labour codes promote safe and inclusive workspaces, while schemes like PM Awas Yojana, DAY-NRLM, and agricultural support initiatives have empowered women financially and socially. From grassroots governance to defence forces and aviation, women are now leading across sectors, driving inclusive and sustainable national growth."
Mentioning about India's fight against malnutrition Mission POSHAN--a transformative initiative that weaves together nutrition, health, and community to build a healthier future, the book said, "With a visionary investment of over Rs 1.81 lakh crore, Poshan 2.0 is being rolled out over the 15th Finance Commission period (2021-22 to 2025-26) to build a culture of well-being--through improved practices, stronger immunity, and holistic wellness. It unites efforts across sectors, creating a convergent ecosystem that transforms nutrition into a shared mission of national development. At the heart of this movement lies POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in 2018--a flagship programme that combines cutting-edge digital tools with grassroots action. From real-time tracking of nutrition indicators to community-driven campaigns, it has ignited a behavioural shift around food, health, and hygiene. This mission isn't just about feeding people--it's about fuelling a healthier, empowered India."
Designed as an integrated nutrition support programme, Mission POSHAN targets the most vulnerable--children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers--by revamping both the content and delivery of nutrition services.
The government in these 11 years set a target to upgrade 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) across the country during the 15th Finance Commission cycle (at 40,000 AWCs per year) under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which aim to deliver improved nutrition and Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE), supporting holistic development of children under six.
Launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 26th December 2024, this campaign identifies and rewards the Top 1000 Gram Panchayats demonstrating exceptional grassroots work in improving nutrition and health outcomes. These "Suposhit Gram Panchayats" serve as models of community-led progress in child and maternal nutrition.
Further ensuring equal rights, the government implemented meaningful reforms that impact their everyday lives, like the abolition of Triple Talaq, which has given Muslim women the dignity and legal protection they long deserved.
The other steps include: " A Proposal to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21 will help with education and employment opportunities. Doubling maternity leave to 26 weeks puts India among the most progressive nations in supporting working mothers. And with the scrapping of Article 35A, women in Jammu and Kashmir now enjoy equal property and legal rights--a historic correction of past injustice."
It further said that the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) scheme provides loans of up to Rs 20 lakh across four loan products. By March 2025, since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), more than 52.5 crore+ loan accounts had been extended, with a sanctioned amount of Rs 34.11 lakh crore and a disbursed amount of Rs 33.33 lakh crore. Notably, about 68 per cent of these loans were granted to women entrepreneurs, underlining the scheme's pivotal role in boosting women-led businesses.
"Over the last 11 years, the Modi government's unwavering commitment to women's empowerment has transformed social welfare from a safety net into a springboard for leadership, dignity, and opportunity. In the last decade, India has laid the foundation for a future where women are no longer just participants -- they are leaders, innovators, protectors, and entrepreneurs. From space missions to grassroots governance, from kitchens to boardrooms, Nari Shakti is marching ahead -- stronger, freer, and more determined than ever," the book further highlighted.