Gender Equality Key To Rural Progress: Pemmasani
“Without financial independence, women’s safety remains fragile”: Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar
VIJAYAWADA: Union minister of state for communications and rural development Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar has said gender justice must lie at the centre of India’s rural development strategy. He urged states to strengthen Gender Resource Centres (GRCs) and integrate women’s self-help groups (SHGs) at the village level.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch of Nayi Chetna 4.0 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in Delhi on Tuesday, Chandrasekhar said gender concerns could no longer be treated as peripheral to rural transformation. “Without financial independence, women’s safety remains fragile,” he stressed.
Citing national figures, he noted that around 4.5 lakh gender-based violence cases are reported each year, while NFHS data shows that one in three women faces physical or sexual violence. Underreporting persists due to fear, stigma and weak institutional support, he added.
He said Nayi Chetna 4.0 would prioritise economic empowerment by improving access to land rights, credit, digital livelihoods and financial services. The minister called for stronger GRCs as first-response hubs offering counselling, legal aid, health linkages and information on rights and entitlements.
Chandrasekhar highlighted the role of major national schemes—PMJDY, PMMY, NRLM and the Lakhpati Didi initiative—in giving women greater financial control and decision-making power.
He urged states to ensure gender sensitisation across the police, health and rural development workforce. Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Annapurna Devi and Kamlesh Paswan, along with more than 200 “Didis” from across India, attended the programme launch.
