Seventh Gender Samvaad highlights women’s leadership in rural livelihoods

Rural Development

New Delhi: The seventh edition of Gender Samvaad has highlighted the need to strengthen women’s leadership, decision-making and economic agency in rural livelihoods, with more than 6 lakh stakeholders participating in the national dialogue. Organised by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development, in collaboration with the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), the event was held on the theme “Participation to Leadership: Enhancing Women’s Agency in Livelihoods.” The dialogue brought together women from self-help groups (SHGs), State Rural Livelihoods Mission teams, policymakers, gender experts and practitioners to discuss how women can move from participation in livelihood programmes to greater leadership and decision-making roles. Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Rohit Kansal, highlighted the growth of Gender Samvaad since its launch in April 2021. Participation has expanded from around 1,400 people in 2021 to nearly six lakh in September 2025, reflecting the growing reach of the platform. He also highlighted the scale of the SHG movement, with more than 10 crore women participating, describing it as one of the world’s largest women-led movements. Kansal pointed to several State-level initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s role in agriculture and rural livelihoods. These include...