Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam aims at mindset change, says NCW chief

NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is not just about women’s reservation but a shift in mindset towards inclusive governance. Speaking at Vigyan Bhawan, she said it strengthens democracy by enhancing women’s leadership and participation.

New Delhi: National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Monday said ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is not merely a legislation for women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but an effort to bring about a change in mindset that kept women away from decision-making for years.

Addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan at Vigyan Bhawan here, Rahatkar said the legislation goes beyond numerical representation and marks a significant shift towards greater inclusion of women in governance and policymaking.

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Among those present at the event were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi and Union Minister Savitri Thakur.

Rahatkar said the law strengthens India’s democracy by making it more sensitive and inclusive, and that it is a major step in ensuring women’s participation in leadership roles.

“Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is not merely about reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies; it is an effort to bring about a change in mindset that kept women away from decision-making for years. It is a major step that takes India’s democracy beyond numbers and moves it towards greater sensitivity,” she said.

Rahatkar said India’s tradition has always placed women in leadership positions, citing historical figures such as Rani Durgavati, Rani Abbakka, Ahilyabai Holkar, Mata Jijau and Savitribai Phule as examples of women leaders across eras.

She said the process of women’s empowerment is continuous — from struggle to empowerment and from empowerment to leadership — and is gaining a new direction and momentum under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

Quoting former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the NCW chief said his observation that “women hold up half the sky and should hold at least one-third of the political ground” has been realised through the enactment of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, for which she expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s remarks on “matrushakti” (maternal strength), Rahatkar said that women are equal stakeholders in every sphere, “neither less nor more, but equal in all respects”.