4 min readNew DelhiMar 8, 2026 11:19 PM IST
For progress in the true sense, we need to ensure equal participation of women, who constitute half of the country’s population, President Droupadi Murmu said on International Women’s Day.
“Despite many efforts towards empowerment of women, there are several obstacles that still stand in the way of their progress. For example, even today, many of our sisters and daughters face discrimination, unequal pay for equal work, and domestic violence These problems cannot be resolved only through the law,” President Murmu said at the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Women’s Day event on Sunday. “A change in our thinking is necessary. Real equality can be established when we stop discriminating between sons and daughters in our homes. Parents need to change their mentality first…,” she added.
Calling for women to be supported in achieving their dreams, President Murmu said: “We aim to make the country developed by 2047. For the nation to progress swiftly, and to realise the potential of citizens for the benefit of the country, it is not only necessary that we encourage our daughters to dream big, but also support them in making those dreams a reality.”
She said that women can give their best towards nation building in an environment free of fear and discrimination.
“For progress in the true sense, we need to ensure equal participation of half of the country’s population, that is, women,” she said.
Stating that women can achieve excellence in every field, with opportunities and support, President Murmu said they are playing leading roles in fields including education, administration, courts, armed forces, health, science, technology, arts, and entrepreneurship.
“Women in rural areas are becoming financially independent through self-help groups. In panchayats, they are providing leadership for rural development. Many women are providing leadership through their abilities and competence in industry, start-ups and in the corporate world. In sports, our daughters are putting up an excellent performance,” she said, adding: “Mahilaon mein dum hain. Hum kisi se kam nahi; hum mein bhi dum hain (Women are not less than anyone; we also have what it takes)”.
Quoting B R Ambedkar’s words which state that “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved,” President Murmu spoke about government schemes that “prioritise women’s empowerment.”
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Listing initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, and the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, President Murmu said: “Today, our country is swiftly progressing towards women-led development. To remove obstacles that stand in the way of women, a strong foundation has been laid over the past decade.”
She added: “In school education, India has achieved gender parity. Even in higher education, in terms of gross enrolment ratio, the number of girls is higher. In Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, the participation of women is growing quickly. In the 2026-27 budget, there is a provision for a girls’ hostel in every district, which will enable STEM students to continue their studies. This is an era of computers, space science, and STEM—women should not fall behind.”
She said, “It is a matter of happiness that the participation of women in the workforce is increasing…women are also progressing in the role of job creators. Under the Startup India initiative, more than half of the startups receiving support have at least one female director.”
To mark Women’s Day, the Ministry organised a ‘Shakti Walk’ along the Kartavya Path that saw participation of women from different fields.
