NEW DELHI, Mar 8 : Leaders across the country on Sunday lauded the growing contribution of women across sectors on International Women’s Day, which was also marked by announcements by state governments focused on financial assistance for women.
President Droupadi Murmu exhorted women to realise their full potential, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that empowerment of women is at the core of his government’s various schemes and initiatives.
Several programmes were organised and initiatives undertaken on the occasion to celebrate women and their achievements in diverse ways. An all-women crew — comprising the loco-pilot, assistant loco-pilot, train manager, ticket checkers and personnel of the Railway Protection Force — operated a passenger train on the Ranchi-Irgaon. In Thane district’s Dombivli, meanwhile, a ‘lezim’ dance performance by 9,111 women created a new Guinness World Record, officials said.
Murmu praised women’s strength and achievements, and exhorted them to realise their full potential, saying, “We are no lesser beings.”
Speaking at an event organised here by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the president said the occasion was not only to honour women’s achievements but also to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to their empowerment.
She noted that rural women are becoming economically self-reliant through self-help groups and providing leadership in village development, while women continue to emerge as leaders in employment, start-ups, and the corporate sector.
Conveying greetings to all women, Modi said the achievements of India’s ‘Nari Shakti’ are a source of pride.
He said empowerment of women is at the core of his government’s various schemes and initiatives, and it remains committed to creating opportunities that enable every woman to realise her full potential and contribute to India’s journey of development.
“On International Women’s Day, I extend my greetings to all our Nari Shakti. Across every field, women are shaping India’s progress with determination, creativity and unmatched zeal. Their achievements inspire our nation and strengthen our collective resolve to build a Viksit Bharat,” he said in a message.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, who participated in the women-led walk — titled ‘Shakti Walk – She Leads Bharat’ — along with the president and Delhi chief minister, said women’s leadership is moving from “women’s development” to “women-led development”.
Referring to government initiatives, Devi said over Rs 5 lakh crore was allocated in the 2026-27 gender budget for women’s empowerment.
Noting that today’s woman is both a homemaker and a nation-maker, she said that as a result of the government’s policies, women’s participation in the workforce has risen over the past six years from 22 per cent to more than 41 per cent.
Speaking at the event, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the event reflected the spirit of women’s empowerment and their role in nation-building.
“Today, through this Kartavya Path, we are reminded that our responsibility is not only towards ourselves or our families but also towards society and the country,” Gupta said while addressing participants.
Meanwhile, at the first national conference of Indian Women in Law, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant batted for greater institutional reforms in the judiciary to bring more women into the legal field and said that high court collegiums should consider meritorious women members of the Bar for judgeship as a norm and not as an exception.
The CJI asserted that members of the Bar must acknowledge and accept a simple reality: women members are not seeking concessions.
“They are seeking fair and appropriate representation, which has long been due. Only when the profession itself internalises this truth, will the pathway to the Bench become clearer,” he said to applause from women lawyers and members of the judiciary.
Marking the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted a video of his interaction with students from Kerala on his YouTube channel. He was seen telling the students in it: “I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses.”
“Every woman is unique. Their sensitivity, understanding, and emotional intelligence provide balance and direction to society. Women also wield power in their own unique ways — with patience, long-term vision, and empathy,” Gandhi asserted in his post in Hindi, accompanying the video.
“I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses. So the boss of my family was my grandmother, and I have always in my family, like on this table, been outnumbered by women,” Gandhi was seen telling the students in the video.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took to X and said, “Women are not merely participants in development. They are its driving force. Through their wisdom, resilience, compassion, and determination, women strengthen communities and build stronger nations.”
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi disbursed over Rs 5,100 crore for more than one crore women beneficiaries of the state’s flagship Subhadra Yojana.
Majhi disbursed the fourth instalment of the Yojana at a special event held in Puri. Several state ministers joined the programme virtually from different districts.
An amount of Rs 5,000 each was credited to the bank accounts of 1.02 crore women, who have already received a similar amount in three instalments.
The AAP government in Punjab announced a new scheme under which Rs 1,000 per month will be given to all women except Scheduled Caste women, who will be getting Rs 1,500 monthly.
Providing monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 per woman was a key poll promise of the ruling party before the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.
In Uttar Pradesh, more than 5,000 women received job offers through various participating organisations at a women’s day programme. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributed appointment letters to 94 newly recruited Mukhya Sevikas and honoured outstanding women employees and meritorious girl students with the Nari Shakti Awards.
He also handed over cheques to beneficiaries of the Kanya Sumangala Yojana and oversaw the direct benefit transfer of Rs 3,849 lakh for insurance premiums as well as for sarees and uniforms for anganwadi workers.
In Assam, meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said nearly 40 lakh ‘Orunodoi’ beneficiaries will receive Rs 9,000 each next week, as he emphasised that women empowerment has been central to Assam’s growth story.
The consolidated payment comprising grants for four months along with an additional amount will be made on Tuesday, making it a record bank transfer of Rs 3,600 crore on a single day under a government scheme, he claimed.
Orunodoi is a flagship poverty alleviation scheme of the current government, under which eligible women beneficiaries receive Rs 1,250 per month. ()PTI)
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