Prayagraj: With the happy coincidence of the first day of Sharadiya Navratri this year with the International Day of the Girl Child, state govt transformed the festival from a mere religious occasion into a massive social and cultural campaign for women’s empowerment and self-reliance. Navratri is fundamentally a symbol of the worship of ‘Aadishakti’ Goddess Durga and the power of womanhood. Guided by the ethos of ‘Yatra naaryastu pujyanti ramanti tatra devatah’ (gods reside where women are honored), Yogi govt implemented this vision on a grand scale, creating a confluence of women’s safety, respect, and self-reliance.Remarkably, women are leading more than 50% of the startups in Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, women’s participation in the state’s workforce has risen from 12% to over 36%. Thanks to state govt efforts, rural women—who were once confined to their homes—are not only becoming self-reliant; they are also inspiring other women in their villages to join the movement and carve out their own distinct identities. The State Rural Livelihood Mission has acted as a vital catalyst in this endeavour.Shama Singh, the NRLM deputy commissioner (Prayagraj), says continuous efforts are being made across all districts to bring more rural women into livelihood groups. Currently, as many as 31,753 women’s self-help groups have been formed in the Prayagraj district so far and over 5 lakh rural women have become self-reliant by joining them.In the financial year 2026-27, a total of 1.22 lakh new eligible families in the district have been linked to self-help groups. Based on this, Prayagraj ranks first in the state for enrolling new families during the current financial year. Similarly, there has been a rapid increase in the number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’. The district has received a revised target to bring 2,19,277 women under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ fold during the current financial year, and of these, over 66,000 women were identified for the scheme following a survey conducted in the first quarter of the year. Previously, a total of 1,15,000 women had already been identified as ‘Lakhpati Didis’.Several events were organised under the ‘Mission Shakti’ initiative on Sunday. District inspector of schools (Prayagraj), Santosh Kumar Rai, said special awareness programmes on the theme of ‘Empowered Daughters, Empowered Nation’ were conducted under ‘Mission Shakti’ to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child on Sunday. At an event held at Gayadeen Vishwakarma Intermediate College, Bhidiura, distinguished experts and officials from various fields inspired girls by raising awareness about mental health, education, self-confidence, personality development and leadership qualities, while empowering them regarding their rights and potential.
