Faridabad, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Women legislators exchanged views on the role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) during a two-day National Commission for Women (NCW) capacity-building workshop on gender-responsive governance, officials said on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised under the NCW’s ‘She is a Changemaker’ initiative. On the concluding day, Sumit Mahajan, Chief Development Officer of Saharanpur, addressed a technical session on the functioning and role of SHGs in advancing women’s empowerment and explained the objectives of the NRLM.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said women’s self-confidence is the starting point for change and their leadership reflects progress.
“In our contemplation there is woman, in our tradition there is woman, in our culture there is woman, and in our social consciousness too there is woman. Woman is not merely the axis of the family for us, she is the power of society; she is also the embodiment of tenderness, and the idol of courage and resolve,” she said.
Another session focused on “Gender Responsive Governance: Gender Budgeting for Women’s Empowerment”, examining ways to incorporate gender considerations into policymaking, planning and allocation of public resources. Neelam Gorhe, Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, led the session.
The workshop also featured a session on “Effective Leadership: Values and Public Leadership”, which examined integrity, accountability and empathy in public leadership. Madhulika Kaushik, Pro Chancellor of Usha Martin University, led the discussion.
On the opening day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stressed the importance of increasing women’s representation in democratic institutions and described the provision for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies as a historic need.
Birla said women’s expanding presence in public services and professional fields would pave the way for a new generation of leaders across political, administrative and social spheres. He said women could eventually account for more than half of public services.
The Speaker said the focus should move beyond merely providing women with support and opportunities to enabling them to shape policies, programmes and laws. He also called for women to participate directly in determining legislation addressing their concerns and aspirations.
Referring to constitutional commitments to equality and legislative measures concerning women’s safety, empowerment and self-reliance, Birla underlined the role of institutions such as the NCW in identifying emerging challenges and facilitating solutions.
He said women legislators in Parliament, State Assemblies, Panchayats and Municipalities could play a decisive role in taking women’s concerns to appropriate forums and ensuring that laws reflected realities at the grassroots.
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