Women-centred development, women-led development
How the Ministry of Women and Child Development approaches safety, dignity, economic participation and leadership — and what the record documents of the Minister’s part in it.
01
Women-centred development
The Ministry of Women and Child Development was constituted as a separate ministry with effect from 30 January 2006; from 1985 it had been a department of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. In its own words, its broad mandate is “to have holistic development of Women and Children” — as the nodal ministry for their advancement, it formulates plans, policies and programmes, enacts and amends legislation, and coordinates the efforts of governmental and non-governmental organisations.
For women, that mandate is delivered largely through Mission Shakti, and through legislation the Ministry administers, including the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. Much of what affects women’s lives — health, livelihoods, credit, policing — sits with other ministries and with the states, which is why the Ministry’s work is as much coordination as delivery.
02
Economic empowerment
Two strands of the Ministry’s work bear directly on women’s economic participation. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana provides maternity benefit in cash — ₹5,000 for the first child and ₹6,000 for a second child if she is a girl — to compensate for wage loss and support health-seeking during pregnancy. The Palna scheme funds crèches, including Anganwadi-cum-crèches, so that mothers of young children can work: as of 23 July 2025, 14,599 Anganwadi-cum-crèches had been approved and 2,448 made operational across 23 States and UTs (PIB 2151467).
District and state Hubs for Empowerment of Women (SANKALP) help women reach schemes across government. The Ministry reported 36 state and 765 district hubs functional in August 2026.
“Women entrepreneurs are a driving force behind India’s economic progress.”Smt. Annpurna Devi, media briefing on the Union Budget 2025–26, 11 February 2025 — PIB 2101713
Reported figure · PMMVY
4.65 crore+
mothers paid more than ₹21,000 crore by Direct Benefit Transfer since the scheme began, as stated by the Minister on 9 September 2026.
PIB 2308322. A Ministry reply of 22 July 2026 gives ₹20,446 crore to about 4.35 crore women up to 15 July 2026 (PIB 2287683).
03
Safety & dignity
One Stop Centres Sakhi · since 1 April 2015
- What they doIntegrated support under one roof for women affected by violence: police facilitation, medical aid, legal aid and counselling, psycho-social support and temporary shelter.
- Reported coverage1,033 centres administratively approved, 991 operational, and over 15.20 lakh women assisted, from 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2026. PIB 2296046, 7 August 2026
Women Helpline 181 24 × 7 · integrated with ERSS-112
- What it doesA toll-free helpline for women in distress, linking callers to police, One Stop Centres and hospitals; integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (112).
- Reported coverageOperational in 35 States and UTs (PIB 2203027, December 2025); 81.64 lakh women assisted up to 31 October 2024 (PIB 2083274).
SHe-Box Workplace harassment complaints
- What it isAn online portal for complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013. A new version was launched on 29 August 2024.
- In ParliamentThe Minister replied on the Act and the portal in the Lok Sabha on 6 February 2026 (PIB 2224438).
Nari Adalat Community dispute resolution
- What it isWomen’s collectives at gram panchayat level to resolve disputes such as harassment and denial of rights through negotiation and mediation.
- StatusPiloted in seven blocks of Assam and in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Jammu & Kashmir (PIB 1983148).
04
Social protection
Shakti Sadan — integrated relief and rehabilitation homes for women in difficult circumstances, including survivors of trafficking — numbered 413 functional homes in February 2026 (PIB 2226336). Sakhi Niwas provides safe, affordable hostels for working women, with day-care for their children.
Maternity benefit under PMMVY, described above, is the Ministry’s largest direct cash transfer to women. It has been implemented from 1 January 2017, with the additional benefit for a second girl child applying from 1 April 2022.
During her first week in office, on 13 June 2024, the Minister visited the Nirmal Chhaya complex in Delhi — its children’s home for girls, after-care home for women, Child Welfare Committee, One Stop Centre and SANKALP hub (PIB 2025198).
05
Women-led development
“BBBP is not only a scheme but an effort to bring about change in the mindsets and behavior of people regarding the girl child and to challenge the discrimination against girls.”Smt. Annpurna Devi, tenth anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, New Delhi, 22 January 2025 — PIB 2095231
Official policy language has moved from women’s development to women-led development — a phrase associated with India’s G20 Presidency in 2023. Opening the Ministry’s National Chintan Shivir at Udaipur on 11 January 2025, the Minister described that shift in global focus (PIB 2092036).
The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 — the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — received Presidential assent on 28 September 2023. It provides for reserving, as nearly as may be, one-third of the seats filled by direct election in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies for women, taking effect after a delimitation based on the first census after its commencement, for fifteen years.
On 7 August 2025 she inaugurated the second edition of UN Women’s SheLeads workshop for women leaders in New Delhi; the PIB release noted that women hold 14% of seats in the 18th Lok Sabha (PIB 2153422). At the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting in Kochi on 8–9 July 2026, under India’s chairship, members adopted what PIB describes as the first-ever joint statement of the BRICS women’s track (PIB 2282843).
06
Gender budgeting
The Union Budget’s Gender Budget Statement reports how much of each ministry’s allocation is directed to women — wholly (Part A) or substantially (Part B). Its share of the total budget has risen in each of the last three budgets.
On 19 June 2025 the Ministry held the first National Consultation on Gender Budgeting at Vigyan Bhawan, with officers from 40 central ministries and departments and 19 states, where the Minister launched the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub — described by PIB as “a digital repository of all information related to gender budgeting processes” (PIB 2137727).
Bars are scaled to 10% of the Union Budget. Sources: PIB 2098912 (2 Feb 2025) for 2024–25 and 2025–26; PIB 2229460 (18 Feb 2026) for 2026–27, which reports 53 ministries/departments and 5 UTs. An earlier release of 1 Feb 2026 (PIB 2221730) gave ₹5.00 lakh crore. These are official budget figures, not an individual’s accomplishment.
07
Institutional framework
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Nodal ministry since 30 January 2006; works through seven bureaus.
National Commission for Women
Statutory body set up in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development
The Ministry’s training and research institute, renamed from NIPCCD by gazette notification of 30 June 2025.
State WCD departments
Implement the missions; the Minister has reviewed them with state ministers nationally (Aug 2024) and in zonal meetings.
08
Mission Shakti
An integrated mission for the safety, security and empowerment of women, implemented for the 15th Finance Commission period with a total outlay of ₹20,989 crore (PIB 1983148). The Budget Estimate for 2026–27 is ₹3,200 crore: ₹627 crore for Sambal and ₹2,573 crore for Samarthya (Union Budget, Demand No. 101).
Sambal Safety and security · 100% centrally funded
- One Stop CentresIntegrated support for women affected by violence.
- Women Helpline 18124-hour emergency and information helpline.
- Beti Bachao Beti PadhaoLaunched 22 January 2015; the sex ratio at birth rose from 918 to 929 between 2014–15 and 2024–25 per HMIS data (PIB 2287683).
- Nari AdalatWomen’s collectives for dispute resolution at village level.
Samarthya Empowerment · Centre–State 60:40 (90:10 NE & special category)
- PM Matru Vandana YojanaMaternity benefit by Direct Benefit Transfer.
- Shakti SadanRelief and rehabilitation homes.
- Sakhi NiwasWorking women’s hostels.
- PalnaCrèches and Anganwadi-cum-crèches.
- SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of WomenConvergence and facilitation at state and district level.
Component lists: PIB 2241722 (18 March 2026). Funding patterns as reported to the Consultative Committee on 21 August 2026 (PIB 2302092).
09
Documented ministerial activities
- 13 June 2024Visited the Nirmal Chhaya complex, Delhi: children’s home for girls, after-care home, One Stop Centre and SANKALP hub. PIB 2025198
- 22 January 2025Jointly inaugurated the tenth-anniversary celebration of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao; the Mission Shakti portal and app were launched. PIB 2095231
- 11 February 2025Briefed the media on gender-focused allocations in the Union Budget 2025–26. PIB 2101713
- 8 March 2025Present at the International Women’s Day conference “Nari Shakti Se Viksit Bharat”, inaugurated by the President. PIB 2109520
- 10–11 March 2025Led India’s delegation to the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, and delivered the national statement. PIB 2110635
- 19 June 2025Launched the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub at the first National Consultation on Gender Budgeting. PIB 2137727
- 7 August 2025Inaugurated SheLeads II, UN Women’s workshop for women leaders. PIB 2153422
- 8 March 2026Addressed the national International Women’s Day programme at the Manekshaw Centre, attended by the President. PIB 2236667
- 13 May 2026Met Sri Lanka’s Minister of Women and Child Affairs and the Sri Lankan women parliamentarians’ caucus. PIB 2260772
- 8–9 July 2026Addressed the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting, Kochi. PIB 2282544, 2282843
- 21 August 2026Chaired the Consultative Committee of MPs on Mission Shakti, Kolkata. PIB 2302092