Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, inaugurated the second edition of UN Women’s flagship capacity-building programme, SheLeads II, in New Delhi. The two-day workshop, organised by the UN Women India Country Office, is designed to empower women aspiring for leadership roles in governance and politics, with a special focus on preparing them for upcoming elections.
The programme comes in the wake of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, which mandates 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. This landmark legislation is expected to significantly increase women’s representation in decision-making bodies across India, creating a historic opportunity for greater gender balance in governance.
SheLeads is a comprehensive initiative aimed at advancing gender equality in public and political leadership. It brings together grassroots women leaders, elected representatives, administrators, and civil society actors from across the country to strengthen their capacity, build networks, and provide tools for effective participation in democratic processes. By creating an enabling environment, the programme seeks to break structural barriers that have traditionally limited women’s representation in politics.
Speaking at the inauguration, Annpurna Devi underscored the government’s commitment to fostering women’s leadership in every sphere of governance. She noted that while the Women’s Reservation Act ensures legislative space for women, capacity-building programmes like SheLeads are crucial to equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to excel in public office.
The SheLeads II workshop covers a range of topics, including campaign strategy, public speaking, policy advocacy, constituency management, media engagement, and leveraging digital tools for outreach. Participants are also given opportunities to interact with experienced political leaders, senior bureaucrats, and gender rights experts, enabling them to learn from diverse perspectives.
UN Women officials highlighted that the programme is not limited to preparing participants for elections, but also focuses on sustained leadership development. The goal is to ensure that women leaders can actively contribute to governance, policy formulation, and community engagement throughout their tenure in public office.
The workshop also provides a networking platform for women leaders from varied backgrounds—ranging from rural panchayat representatives to urban municipal councillors—to share best practices, collaborate on initiatives, and collectively advocate for gender-responsive governance.
The launch of SheLeads II is particularly significant given the upcoming electoral cycles at both the state and national levels. With the new legislative quota in place, thousands of women are expected to enter the political arena for the first time. By offering training, mentorship, and access to support systems, SheLeads aims to help them transition smoothly from candidacy to effective governance.
As the sessions progress, participants are expected to develop personalised action plans, which they can take back to their constituencies to drive local development with a gender-sensitive lens.
Through initiatives like SheLeads II, India takes another step towards building a more inclusive, representative, and equitable democracy, ensuring that women leaders have both the opportunity and the ability to shape the nation’s future.
