Seventh Gender Samvaad emphasises strengthening women’s leadership and agency in livelihoods

The Ministry of Rural Development, through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and in collaboration with the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), organized the seventh edition of Gender Samvaad. The theme for the event was “Participation to Leadership: Enhancing Women’s Agency in Livelihoods,” aligned with the UN International Year of Women Farmers 2026. The dialogue convened over six lakh stakeholders to deliberate on women’s leadership, decision-making, and economic agency in rural livelihoods. Discussions highlighted initiatives such as Lakhpati Didis, the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II, state-led innovations from Maharashtra, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, and the role of women's collectives like Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).