Category Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion

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Politics, Representation and Women: A Pie in the Sky?

In the 18th Lok Sabha Elections, the overall female voters’ turnout was 65.78 percent, just .02 percent short of the overall male voters’ turnout, which amounted to 65.80 percent, marking the active participation of women in undertaking the democratic process of choosing our leaders. And in many states, women voters outperformed in comparison to the male counterpart reflecting their intent in performing their political duty. (Election Commission of India, 2026). Yet, in that same election, out of 543 Members of Parliament who were elected, only 74 women candidates were voted to power, amounting to only 14 percent. (Association for Democratic Reforms, 2026, p.24), a dip from 14.4 percent in the previous Lok Sabha elections. (PRS, May 2019).

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DEEN DAYAL LADO LAKSHMI YOJANA 2025: ASSESSING WOMEN’S INCOME SUPPORT IN HARYANA

Women’s economic insecurity in India is shaped not only by low incomes but also by unpaid care work, limited control over household resources, dependence on family members and unequal access to employment. State governments have increasingly responded through direct cash-transfer programmes that place money directly into women’s bank accounts. Haryana’s Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana (DDLLY) is part of this wider shift toward women-focused income support.

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Gender-Inclusive Sanitation: The Role of Pink Toilets in Urban India (2017)

The Pink Toilet Scheme represents a gender-responsive sanitation intervention launched by diverse municipal corporations and state authorities within the framework of the Swachh Bharat Mission to establish secure, hygienic, and dignified restrooms reserved for women, adolescent girls, and young children. These units are distinctively pink-colored to ensure rapid recognition within congested urban landscapes.

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The One Stop Centre Scheme (2015): A Policy Analysis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Survivor-Centered Service Model

   The One Stop Centre, launched on April 1, 2015, is introduced by the Ministry of Women and Child Development  through Sambal, a sub-scheme under Mission Shakti. According to the recommendations of the 12th Plan’s (2012-2017) Working Group on Women’s Agency and Empowerment and the Justice (Retd.) The Usha Mehra Commission’s report: one-stop centres were established on a pilot basis across the country. The scheme ensures access to services for women and girls facing physical, sexual, psychological, or economic abuse, irrespective of age, socio-economic or marital status, race, ethnicity, caste, or educational background. 

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PALNA SCHEME: CHILDCARE FOR WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (2022)

The Palna scheme was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on 1 April 2022. This is part of the Samarthya component of Mission Shakti. It replaced the National Creche Scheme. The Ministry of Women and Child Development gave guidelines for the Palna scheme on 14 July 2022. The Palna scheme is based on two schemes. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme and the National Creche Scheme. The Palna scheme provides childcare for children aged 6 months to 6 years. The main reason for the Palna scheme is to help women work by taking care of their children.

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Lakhpati Didi: Reimagining Rural Development Through Women-Led Entrepreneurship

India’s rural development policy has gone through three main phases. The first, called “women's welfare,” saw women mostly as recipients of nutrition, health, and poverty relief. The second, “women empowerment,” developed alongside the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement in the 1990s and 2000s, focusing on savings, access to credit, and community involvement. The third and current phase, known as “women-led development,” now sees rural women as economic actors who can drive local development (Ministry of Rural Development [MoRD], 2023).

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SHE-Marts & the Next Frontier Of Women-Led Development In India Building Market Ecosystems for Rural Women Entrepreneurs

In the last thirty years, rural women’s development in India has gone through several stages. It began with welfare programs focused on nutrition, maternal health, and poverty relief. The 1990s saw the rise of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) that promoted empowerment. Later, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) institutionalised women-led development. Most recently, the Lakhpati Didi initiative aims to help SHG members earn a steady annual household income of over one lakh rupees.

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