Inspirational voices of Indian women panchayat leaders resonate at UN meeting

New York: The inspiring stories of India’s elected women representatives of the Panchayati Raj institutions resonated in the hallowed halls of the United Nations Headquarters as three iconic grassroots leaders took center stage at the Side Event titled ‘Localizing the SDGs: Women in Local Governance’ on Friday in India’. Lead the way’.

Supriya Das Datta from Tripura, Kunuku Hema Kumari from Andhra Pradesh and Neeru Yadav from Rajasthan shared their experiences and innovations in local governance and promoting localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across many thematic areas.

These ranged from combating child marriage to promoting healthcare, education, livelihood opportunities and environmental sustainability.

The trio exemplified the transformative power of grassroots leadership as they articulated the challenges and struggles they faced and overcame during their leadership journey.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj jointly organized the Side Event in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at the Secretariat Building of the UN Headquarters, New York.

Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj set the tone for the event, highlighting India’s unique Panchayati Raj system as a beacon of decentralized power and direct democracy that enables the participation of active people.

With over 1.4 million elected women representatives, India’s journey with the Panchayati Raj system is a story of empowerment, inclusivity and progress, especially highlighting the progress made in women leadership, she said .

Ambassador Kamboj also emphasized the close alignment of local planning processes with the SDGs, with a special focus on addressing women’s issues.

Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said empowering women at the grassroots level plays a crucial role in India’s progress.

He also highlighted the innovative approaches of the Panchayati Raj institutions in leveraging technology for development and policy interventions to ensure economic empowerment, citing examples like the ‘Drone Didi’ and ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiatives of the Central government.

The event featured keynote speakers including Norway’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andreas Lovold, and representatives from UNFPA, including Pio Smith, Regional Director of UNFPA Asia Pacific.

(IANS)