The Ministry of Rural Development held the seventh Gender Samvaad forum to discuss how rural women can move from participating in livelihood programmes to taking leadership roles. The event, organised jointly by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality, brought together over 6 lakh participants including self-help group women, state officials, policymakers and development workers across the country.
What the government highlighted
The Gender Samvaad series has grown substantially since its start in April 2021, when it had 1,400 participants. The latest edition in September 2025 drew nearly six lakh people, showing how the platform has expanded.
Officials pointed to several achievements in women’s economic engagement:
- More than 10 crore women are part of self-help groups, described as an exemplary women-led movement
- Over 3.46 crore women, called Lakhpati Didis, now earn more than ₹1 lakh annually
- Several states have launched innovations: Maharashtra’s Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill recognises women farmers without formal land ownership; Odisha has issued the Bhubaneswar Declaration on women’s land rights; Andhra Pradesh’s natural farming model is being driven by women’s self-help groups at scale
The government also highlighted a National Campaign on Entrepreneurship running from 21 August to 21 November 2026, aimed at helping self-help group women develop enterprises, access markets and use digital platforms.
Officials stressed the need to strengthen women’s collective economic institutions such as farmer producer organisations, producer groups and producer enterprises, particularly in light of 2026 being declared the UN International Year of Women Farmers.
What this means for you
If you are part of a self-help group or involved in rural livelihoods, the government is pushing for stronger support systems to help women move beyond basic participation to taking decision-making positions in agricultural and economic institutions. This includes better training, access to finance, technology and market connections. The focus on collectivisation through groups and federations suggests that women working together will have greater bargaining power and access to resources for growing their enterprises and farms.