Opinion For PM Modi, women’s empowerment has always been much more than a slogan

PM interacts with eco-guides, trackers and field staff at Gir National Park, in Gujarat on March 03, 2025.

While he was serving as Gujarat’s organisational general secretary, as the leader of the women’s wing of the party, I often received his guidance. He always ensured that every event or initiative of the Mahila Morcha was managed entirely by women, without relying on male party workers. In training camps for women party workers, he personally took the initiative to impart a wide range of skills needed for political work — from drafting press releases to planning logistics.

Several instances can be mentioned about Modi’s proactive approach to advancing women in politics — whether it was ensuring women candidates in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, choosing Sudha Yadav, a Kargil war widow, as a BJP MP candidate from Haryana in 1999, or most recently, the appointment of a woman Chief Minister for Delhi.

Modi has always had a keen eye for natural leadership among women. He saw women who were socially active and took lead roles in weddings or village functions as natural organisers and potential political leaders. In his view, women’s leadership did not need to be artificially created — it already existed everywhere, waiting to be recognised. He often highlighted stories of ordinary women showing extraordinary courage, such as a vegetable vendor who boldly confronted police excesses or an illiterate woman who built a successful cooperative.

As Gujarat’s Chief Minister, under the Samras Gaon-Tehsil initiative, he ensured that several villages and municipal areas had entire administrative units — from patwaris to police officers — led by women. This was not merely symbolic but a step towards systemic empowerment. In municipal bodies, he actively promoted women as mayors, deputy mayors, standing committee chairs, and leaders of the house, even in unreserved constituencies, emphasising that women’s leadership should be based on competence, not just reservation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Nari Shakti awardee.

One of CM Modi’s most impactful social interventions was ending the “sarpanch pati” practice in Gujarat, where husbands would effectively run the panchayat on behalf of elected women. He personally met with women sarpanches, encouraging them to take charge directly and not allow anyone to undermine their authority.

When the BJP won the Ahmedabad municipal elections for the first time in 1987, Modi, as the party’s state organisational general secretary, ensured that the celebratory event featured the felicitation of a Dalit woman, who had earned a PhD, by the Shankaracharya. When he entered his official residence as Gujarat’s Chief Minister for the first time, a Dalit girl was ceremoniously invited to install the kalash.

These gestures were not merely symbolic. Modi firmly believed that gender equality should begin at home. While dining at the homes of karyakartas, he would never allow girl children to be excluded from dining with boys. He always advised karyakartas to provide equal educational opportunities for both boys and girls. On one occasion, when he visited a party worker’s home and the man called his wife to clear his plate after lunch, Modi promptly intervened, asking, “Why don’t you pick up your plate yourself?”

In both the organisation and the government, he always paid attention to the comfort and well-being of his women colleagues.

As Gujarat’s Chief Minister and later as Prime Minister, he placed women at the centre of every initiative and action. Whenever a scheme was launched, his first priority was to assess how it would impact the lives of women. As Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Modi introduced several transformative schemes that not only empowered women across the state but also became models for national programmes after 2014.

In 2005, Gujarat launched the Beti Vadhaao mission to eliminate female foeticide and raise awareness about the value of the girl child. Modi’s strong belief in education as a tool for empowerment led to the launch of the Kanya Kelavani programme in 2003, which featured massive enrolment drives for girls. During these drives, the entire government, including the chief minister, personally toured villages to encourage enrolment.

In 2006, Modi launched the Nari Gaurav Niti, a comprehensive framework focused on women’s safety, health, economic security, and social empowerment in Gujarat. It established Mahila Suraksha Samitis to support domestic violence survivors and created Nari Adalats to provide legal assistance to women. In 2009, Gujarat passed a landmark bill providing 50 per cent reservation for women in local governance. Even during the Kutch earthquake rehabilitation, he ensured equality by mandating that newly built houses be registered in the names of both husbands and wives.

The Chiranjeevi Yojana aimed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates by promoting institutional deliveries. The Khilkhilat ambulance service offered free transport for pregnant women and newborns. The women’s nutrition campaign was another significant step. The Nirmal Gujarat programme, a precursor to the Swachh Bharat Mission, focused on toilet construction, greatly benefiting women. The Mukhyamantri Amrutum Yojana was launched to provide healthcare to underprivileged women.

The Mission Mangalam initiative focused on self-help groups to engage unemployed women in income-generating activities. Sakhi Mandals played a key role in microfinance and skill training. Additionally, when ensuring 24×7 electricity in Gujarat, a major consideration was to ease women’s lives by enabling the use of household appliances like washing machines and mixers.

When Modi assumed office as Prime Minister in 2014, his lifelong commitment to Nari Shakti was transformed into nationwide policies aimed at empowering women across economic, social, educational, and political spheres. His approach went beyond welfare programmes, focusing on creating opportunities, building capacity, and promoting women’s leadership in all sectors.

One of the earliest reflections of this commitment was seen in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, where he placed special emphasis on building toilets to restore dignity and improve safety for women, especially in rural areas. This was followed by the launch of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao to address gender imbalance and promote girls’ education. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana provided over 10 crore LPG connections, freeing women from the health hazards of smoke-filled kitchens.

Several other schemes followed, such as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Stand-Up India, Lakhpati Didi programme, Poshan Abhiyaan, and Mission Shakti. Initiatives like PM Awas Yojana were particularly beneficial to women, providing them with housing security.

The historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which reserves one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, became a reality under the Modi government. The nation saw its first full-time woman Defence Minister and Finance Minister during this period.

Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women are no longer seen merely as beneficiaries of government programmes — they have emerged as leaders, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and changemakers. On this Women’s Day, let us celebrate the transformational journey of India’s Nari Shakti, driving the nation’s progress towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

The writer is Governor of Uttar Pradesh and former chief minister, Gujarat