Every year on March 8th, the world unites to commemorate International Women’s Day, a momentous occasion dedicated to honouring women’s achievements and drawing attention to the ongoing challenges they face in their quest for equity. “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment,” the 2025 theme, is an appeal for governments, institutions and people everywhere to reaffirm their dedication to gender parity. Since it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic blueprint for advancing women’s rights globally, this year’s celebration is noteworthy.

Even with all of the advancements made thus far, gender inequality still persists, as evidenced by the annual celebration of International Women’s Day. Globally, women continue to endure intrinsic obstacles, discrimination and cruelty despite achievements in social change, business, political engagement and education. IWD serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for women’s rights will never end as long as true equality has not been achieved. There is still more work to be done, notwithstanding the efforts made to close the gender gap. Women still face social biases that restrict their access to opportunities, low political representation and salary disparity. Issues such as workplace harassment, domestic abuse and reproductive rights are still prevalent in many communities and countries

Gender equality has been greatly advanced by governments worldwide since the 1995 adoption of the Beijing Declaration.  From the 12 countries that had laws against domestic abuse in 1995, there are currently 193 countries with over 1,500 legislations addressing various forms of violence against women. More women than ever before assume executive and ministerial positions, fostering inclusive government. Although women are now gaining ground in the workforce in a various sectors, the gender wage gap still persists. In most places, the literacy rates of women and girls have increased significantly, enabling more women to assume leadership roles and higher education. Because 07 these benefits, change is occurring gradually. The “Accelerate Action” theme of the International Women’s Day campaign stresses the necessity of taking decisive action to eliminate the barriers that still prevent women from advancing.

India has been a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, and the government has made women’s power, or “Nari Shakti,” a top priority. Policies and programs have been in place for the past ten years to empower women in all spheres, including politics, economic empowerment sports and education.

Less than 12% of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, was composed of women before 2015, indicating a low level of female political engagement in India. However, by 2019, this percentage had increased to 14.4%, and India has made significant progress towards inclusive government with the enactment of the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023, which reserves 33% of seats for women in state legislatures and Parliament. This reserve must be increased to 50%, though, in order to give women at least half a say in political decision-making and hasten their emancipation.

Women-led enterprises and entrepreneurship have increased in India in recent years. Government programs like “Stand-Up India” and “Mudra Yojana” have provided financing to female entrepreneurs so they may launch and expand their enterprises. Although women-owned companies make up a sizable portion of India’s GDP, women only lead 20% of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. More financing, mentorship programs that support female entrepreneurship, and more governmental measures are needed to close this gap. Over the past ten years, Kashmir has seen a notable change in the empowerment of women. Women have historically faced major barriers entering the professions and governing bodies due to sociopolitical disputes and strongly ingrained patriarchal standards. Nonetheless, a revolutionary shift has been brought about by coordinated government efforts. In Kashmir, women are increasingly able to pursue higher education and careers in fields like engineering, medicine, media and entrepreneurship. In both urban and rural areas of the region, women have gained economic empowerment through self-help organizations and skill development courses. Many Kashmiri women are now able to make decisions because of the establishment of political reservations for women in local administration. Due to the numerous increases in women’s representation in Panchayati Raj Institutions local governments, more women are participating in the policy-making process for matters pertaining to healthcare, education and community development.

Various initiatives have been launched to address socio-economic and cultural barriers, promoting gender equality through targeted interventions.

One of the landmark initiatives, the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” scheme, was introduced in 2015 to improve female education and the child sex ratio by promoting awareness, education and financial support. This increased female literacy to 68% by 2021, while the sex ratio in Jammu & Kashmir improved from 917 in 2015 to 976 in 2020. This initiative led to a shift in societal attitudes, encouraging a greater valuation of daughters. The impact was evident in the 2024 Assembly and Parliamentary elections, where women participated in large numbers as voters and candidates, actively engag in campaigning and contesting elections.

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan launched on August 15, 2020, to combat substance abuse, expanded to 20 districts of the Union Territory by 2023. Community outreach programs, counselling, treatment facilities and awareness campaigns encouraged women’s participation in curbing drug abuse. Over 98 lakh individuals have been reached, including more than 8 lakh youth and over 9 lakh women. Over 16,000 participants have been recorded from educational institutions. As a result, domestic violence cases decreased, and women are taking up leadership roles in community-driven awareness programs. Mothers’ committees were formed to prevent youth addiction, reinforcing the role of women as active participants in social change, economic growth and national well-being.

Approximately 80,000 Self-Help Groups have been established, empowering over 7,00,000 women and increasing their income levels by 40% since 2019 under JKRLM. The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has facilitated loans for women entrepreneurs, promoting self-employment and empowering millions of women by enabling them to start and scale up their businesses. Under this scheme, Jammu and Kashmir received ₹21,636.33 crore sanctioned and ₹21,036.17 crore disbursed from 2021 to 2024.

The Lakhpati Didi Scheme, a part of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission announced on August 15, 2023, that aim at empowering rural women by helping them achieve an annual income of at least ₹1lakh through self-employment and entrepreneurship has played a significant role in empowering rural women by fostering sustainable development and encouraging collaborations with banks, markets and cooperatives.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, launched on June 25, 2015, for urban areas and November 20, 2016, for rural areas, aims to provide affordable housing for all by 2022. Over the past five years, 26,748 houses have been sanctioned, and 23,497 houses have been completed and handed over to beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Beneficiary-Led Construction component, financial assistance of up to ₹2.5 lakh is provided for house construction.

To address gender-based violence and distress, the government has established One Stop Centres, Mahila Shakti Kendras now District Hub for Empowerment of Women and women’s help desks across the region. Jammu and Kashmir has 20 operational OSC’s collectively assisted 9,000 women offering integrated services including legal, medical and psychological support, ensuring safety and justice for women in distress.

These flagship schemes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, such as Mission Shakti, have linked women entrepreneurs with markets and consolidated empowerment schemes under a unified framework. These initiatives go beyond mere promises by directly impacting the socio-economic landscape of Kashmir, fostering a new generation of educated and economically independent women. This holistic approach has not only uplifted individuals but also catalyzed community-wide transformation, creating a ripple effect of development and social change. By fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing skill development and ensuring access to education, these policies are laying the foundation for sustainable empowerment.

A shining example is Arifa Jan, a Kashmiri entrepreneur working to revive the traditional Namda craft. Through her efforts, she has empowered numerous artisans and promoted Kashmiri handicrafts on a global scale. On Women’s Day 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over his social media accounts to seven inspirational women, one of whom was Arifa Jan.

Women’s legal protections in the region have been strengthened by government initiatives such as hotline services and fast-track courts for instances involving gender-based violence. However, in order to ensure that gender-based discrimination is completely eradicated, changes are required.

A number of steps must be taken in order to properly realize the IWD 2025 theme like:

To advance gender parity in governance and decision-making women’s reservation in legislature must be increased to 50%. More regulations are required to support female entrepreneurs, especially in rural areas, by giving them access to capital, skill development and mentorship.

Stricter enforcement of laws about gender-based violence is required, as is increased public knowledge of and access to judicial systems. Women who get education and vocational training will be prepared to compete equally in all sectors of the economy.

Removing Social Barriers: Awareness efforts aimed at altering ingrained derogatory cultural norms must be used to combat stereotypes and cultural attitudes.

In addition to being a celebration, International Women’s Day 2025 serves as a call to action for sustained and heightened efforts to achieve gender parity. The subject of “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment” emphasizes how important it is for everyone to work together to remove structural barriers. Significant progress has been achieved in integrating women into mainstream socioeconomic and political platforms in India, particularly in Kashmir. However, more collective efforts are required to close the remaining gaps. As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, it is critical to recognize that attaining gender equality is a global requirement rather than just a women’s issue. A more just and equal society, economic expansion and national development are all facilitated by women’s empowerment. Every girl and woman, regardless of where they come from, must be able to thrive and prosper in future.

This International Women’s Day, let us pledge to “Accelerate Action” and make women’s rights not a dream but a reality for everyone and realize the dream of “Viksit Nari- Viksit Bharat”.