Union Minister Annapurna Devi gave information about the government’s initiatives for women empowerment

On Tuesday, Annapurna Devi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, gave a briefing to the media on the government’s efforts to empower women since May 2014.

“PM Modi has consistently underlined the significance of women’s empowerment. We are making progress for women’s development with this emphasis in mind,” she said.

Devi outlined a number of significant government efforts that have been implemented since 2014 to guarantee women’s safety and growth across a range of industries.

“The Nari Shakti Vandan Act was passed by the PM Modi-led government as part of these efforts,” she said.

Additionally, she noted that the gender budget for women has grown dramatically, with over 3 lakh crore allocated for 2024–2025—a major increase above pre-2014 statistics.

“One crore women have been made Lakhpati Didi, and we aim to make 3 crore women Lakhpati Didi through women-centric development schemes,” Devi said.

The Union Government is dedicated to women-led development, according to Annapurna Devi.

By 2037, the government wants women to be involved in most areas of the economy, demonstrating its commitment to women-led development. Since 2014, around 49 initiatives have been introduced under the Nirbhaya Fund, with an expected allocation of more than Rs 11,000 crore. Women are getting crucial assistance via the 181 Women Help Line, even if West Bengal hasn’t yet put this hotline into place,” the minister said.

According to the Union Minister, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has helped over 3.5 crore women. Pregnant women and nursing mothers may get a cash incentive of Rs 5,000 (in three installments) straight into their bank accounts via this centrally sponsored DBT initiative.

In order to guarantee the protection and justice of women, the government has also enacted three new criminal legislation. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has also helped more than 3.5 crore women, and the government is aiming to build dormitories for working women. Talks are still going on with other state administrations, and we want to open 1,000 women’s hostels across the states,” the Minister said.

According to Annapurna Devi, West Bengal has been granted fast track courts in order to protect women and uphold the rule of law.

“113 Fast Track Courts have been sanctioned for West Bengal, but only 6-7 are currently operational,” she said.