Ministry of Panchayati Raj Holds Special Training Programme to Promote Women’s Safety in Villages

New Delhi, May 28, 2026: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj organised a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme in the national capital from May 25 to 27 under its ‘Nirbhay Raho’ campaign aimed at improving women’s safety and strengthening gender-sensitive governance in rural India.

The programme, titled “Freedom from Violence: Capacity Building of Elected Women Representatives on Legal Provisions for the Safety and Security of Women,” was conducted with support from the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru under the Nirbhaya Fund initiative.

The training focused on enhancing the understanding of elected women representatives and Panchayat members regarding legal rights, gender awareness, institutional support systems, and community-level mechanisms related to women’s protection and dignity.

Around 50 delegates from State Institutes of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, School of Excellence in Panchayati Raj under NIRD&PR, Piramal Foundation, and Transform Rural India Foundation participated in the programme.

Addressing the inaugural session, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj said Panchayati Raj Institutions can play a transformative role in promoting awareness, justice, and safety for women at the grassroots level. He stressed that sensitised local leadership can strengthen community support systems and improve institutional responsiveness in rural areas.

He informed that the ‘Nirbhay Raho’ initiative, launched on March 11, 2026, includes three major components. ‘Nirbhay Netri’ focuses on training and legal awareness for elected women representatives, while ‘Nirbhay Chetna’ aims to sensitise male elected representatives on gender-related issues. Another component, ‘Nirbhay Drishti’, seeks to improve safety infrastructure through installation of CCTV cameras at key locations in villages.

According to the Ministry, the initiative aims to cover nearly 14.5 lakh elected women representatives and approximately 17.5 lakh male elected representatives nationwide through awareness drives and institutional capacity-building programmes.

Professor Sairam Bhat from NLSIU Bengaluru highlighted the importance of legal literacy and survivor-centric approaches at the grassroots level. He noted that Panchayat leaders can become strong agents of social change by helping women access justice and support systems.

The sessions during the programme covered topics including domestic violence, child marriage, cyber safety, legal remedies, victim compensation, community participation, and emergency response mechanisms at the Panchayat level.

Experts used interactive methods such as case studies, group discussions, moot courts, role-play exercises, and practical demonstrations to provide field-level understanding to participants.

The programme concluded with discussions on expanding the initiative across States and Union Territories through a cascading training model. Officials said the initiative marks an important step towards building inclusive and women-friendly Panchayats while strengthening community-led efforts for women’s safety and dignity in rural India.