Savitri Thakur Highlights India’s Push for Women Led Development at UN Event

NEW YORK, March 13:Savitri Thakur underlined India’s commitment to advancing women’s leadership and strengthening cooperation among developing nations while addressing a global event during the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations  headquarters.

Speaking at a programme focused on women-led development and South-South cooperation, the minister emphasised how partnerships among countries of the Global South are helping drive inclusive growth and empower women across various sectors. She noted that collaborative initiatives are creating opportunities for leadership, economic participation and sustainable development.

The discussion highlighted the work of the India-Brazil-South Africa initiative, commonly known as the IBSA Fund, which has supported dozens of development projects across nearly forty countries since its launch in 2004. According to Thakur, the programme demonstrates how developing nations can jointly address social and economic challenges through shared expertise and resources.

She said many of these projects focus on strengthening women’s role in governance, leadership and decision-making. As an example, she referred to a programme in Liberia designed to enhance the capacity of women legislators and promote gender-sensitive governance through training, policy engagement and stronger legislative oversight.

The initiative also aims to encourage reforms in laws that discriminate on the basis of gender while building wider public awareness and cooperation between male and female leaders to promote equality in policymaking. Such efforts, she said, help strengthen democratic institutions and ensure more inclusive governance.

Thakur also spoke about economic empowerment programmes supported under the framework, including a proposed project in Jordan aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs through floriculture activities. The plan seeks to promote environmentally sustainable farming while enabling women to establish small businesses and gain professional skills.

The project is expected to create several women-led micro-enterprises and provide training in horticulture and business management, helping women build livelihoods while promoting climate-friendly agricultural practices.

Highlighting India’s domestic efforts, the minister noted that the government has launched multiple initiatives to expand women’s access to education, digital resources, entrepreneurship opportunities and skill development. She added that policy measures such as gender-focused budgeting continue to strengthen these efforts.

She pointed out that the Union Budget for 2025-26 has allocated over ₹5 lakh crore under gender budgeting provisions, reflecting the government’s growing focus on advancing gender equality and supporting programmes aimed at women’s empowerment.

On the sidelines of the UN session, Thakur also held discussions with South African Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga on strengthening cooperation between the two countries under the IBSA Dialogue Forum. The talks included collaboration on development programmes, digital public infrastructure and initiatives aimed at improving opportunities for women.

The minister concluded by reaffirming India’s commitment to expanding partnerships with countries of the Global South to promote inclusive development and strengthen global initiatives that place women at the centre of progress.