National Conclave on Gender Mainstreaming Held in New Delhi

September 24, 2024

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) recently organized a National Conclave in New Delhi to focus on Gender Mainstreaming. This event, held in collaboration with IWWAGE (Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy), aimed to improve how gender issues are addressed in rural development programs, especially within the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

Objective of the Conclave

The main goal of the conclave was to make rural programs more sensitive to gender issues. This means creating community institutions supporting women’s empowerment and developing strategies integrating gender considerations into rural projects.

Government’s Commitment

Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of Rural Development, emphasized the government’s commitment to improving rural livelihoods by ensuring socio-economic inclusion. He stressed the importance of a ‘whole-of-government approach’, meaning that different ministries must work together to achieve the best outcomes.

Empowering Women

The former Secretary, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, highlighted how DAY-NRLM can play a key role in addressing gender inequality and empowering women. He pointed out the need to raise awareness about unpaid care work (such as household chores that women often do without pay) and to find solutions that benefit women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Shri Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary of Rural Development, spoke about ongoing efforts to strengthen Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Village Organizations (VOs). He stressed the importance of providing better legal and psychological support to women in these groups so that they can thrive.

Panel Discussions

The conclave included four-panel discussions that explored different ways to include gender considerations in rural programs. The topics covered were:

Gender-responsive community institutions: Ensuring that community organizations support women’s rights and gender equality.

Convergence pathways: Finding ways for different programs and policies to work together for better gender outcomes.

Integration of gender in program design: Ensure gender issues are considered when developing new programs.

Alliance and Advocacy: Working with other organizations to promote gender equality.

Participants

The event brought together a wide range of participants, including government officials, members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), gender experts, and representatives from civil society organizations. This diverse group helped create a collaborative environment to discuss and promote gender mainstreaming in rural programs.

The National Conclave was a step toward making rural development more inclusive by focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

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