Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annpurna Devi addressed the SCO Women’s Forum 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, through a video message, presenting India’s position on women-led development and regional cooperation.
According to the Press Information Bureau, the minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its working principles of mutual respect, equality, and consensus. She also referred to India’s willingness to strengthen partnerships within the SCO and work towards the organisation’s shared development goals.
Focus on women in economic development
The minister delivered India’s opening statement and also spoke during a panel session on the role of women in economic development. Her remarks placed women at the centre of economic growth, in line with India’s stated vision of Women-Led Development and the national goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The statement highlighted that women’s participation is being viewed as a driver of growth, not only as a welfare issue. The focus was on economic leadership, safety, care, and well-being as linked areas in policy discussions.
Self-help groups and Lakhpati Didis
Smt. Annpurna Devi cited the scale of women’s collective participation in India through self-help groups. The statement said nearly 100 million women are organised into more than 9 million Self-Help Groups across the country.
It also said that more than 30 million women have become Lakhpati Didis. The figure was presented as part of India’s wider message on expanding women’s economic participation and leadership.
Government programmes mentioned
The minister referred to Mission Shakti and Mission Poshan 2.0 as key pillars in India’s work on women’s safety, care, and economic participation.
Mission Shakti was mentioned in the context of advancing women’s safety and participation. Mission Poshan 2.0 was cited alongside it as part of the government’s approach to care and well-being. The PIB statement did not provide additional programme-wise details in this release.
Cooperation with SCO partners
India also stated its readiness to share experiences with SCO partner countries. The focus of this cooperation, as described in the statement, is women’s economic leadership and well-being across the region.
The address at the Bishkek forum kept the emphasis on practical areas of cooperation within the SCO framework, including women’s participation in growth and development. No new scheme, funding announcement, or bilateral agreement was mentioned in the PIB release.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.