Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the Model Women Friendly Gram Panchayat (MWFGP) initiative under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) to empower women in local governance. The initiative aims to create inclusive, gender-sensitive governance systems by developing model Gram Panchayats that prioritize women's participation, safety, and empowerment. So far, 742 Gram Panchayats have been identified across 32 States/UTs. A dashboard with 41 indicators has been developed to monitor progress.
Key Points / Main Content:
Objectives and Implementation:
* The MWFGP initiative aims to establish inclusive and gender-sensitive local governance, ensuring women's participation, safety, rights, and empowerment.
* One Gram Panchayat per district is being transformed into a MWFGP to act as a learning center for replication.
* 742 Gram Panchayats have been identified as MWFGPs by 32 States/UTs.
* In Shahdol Lok Sabha Constituency in Madhya Pradesh, 4 Gram Panchayats have been identified as MWFGP.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
* A MWFGP Dashboard with 41 indicators across six sub-themes monitors progress: Participation in Governance; Education & Skill Development; Access to Economic Opportunities; Health & Nutrition; Safety & Security; and Advocacy against Harmful Practices.
* States/UTs have been trained on dashboard functionalities, with baseline data creation underway.
Capacity Building and Training:
* Training modules and learning materials on women-friendly Gram Panchayats have been developed and shared with States/UTs.
* 310 State Level Master Trainers were trained between November 2024 and February 2025.
* States/UTs conduct training for various stakeholders, integrating women-friendly measures into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Collaboration and Best Practices:
* Model Women Friendly Gram Panchayats will demonstrate exemplary practices in gender-sensitive governance, promoting women's empowerment.
* Best practices will be replicated through capacity building, exposure visits, and integration into local policy frameworks.
* Elected Women Representatives will share best practices through workshops, training sessions, exposure visits, and conventions.
Partnership with UNFPA:
* The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the knowledge partner for MWFGP.
* UNFPA supports the development of training modules, training of Master Trainers, and provides technical inputs for capacity building.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments and SIRDs:
* Impact: Required to coordinate, provide logistical support, and facilitate the engagement of Elected Women Representatives in training and workshops.
* Action Required: Implement training programs and follow-up initiatives, ensuring effective participation of women representatives.
Elected Representatives and Panchayati Raj Functionaries:
* Impact: Enhanced knowledge and skills on various aspects of rural governance and women-led development.
* Action Required: Participate in training programs, implement women-friendly measures in Gram Panchayat Development Plans, and share best practices.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: The Indian government ministry responsible for local governance and rural development.
Model Women Friendly Gram Panchayats (MWFGP): An initiative aimed at creating inclusive and gender-sensitive local governance systems that ensure women's participation, safety, rights, and empowerment at the grassroots level.
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme focused on capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs): Local self-government institutions in India at the village or rural level.
Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan: A campaign launched to empower Women Panchayat Leaders with knowledge and skills on various aspects of rural governance.
Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs): A framework to implement Sustainable Development Goals at the Gram Panchayat level.
Shahdol Lok Sabha Constituency, Madhya Pradesh: A parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, specifically mentioned in the context of MWFGP implementation.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): The knowledge partner for the MWFGP initiative, providing technical support and expertise.
GOVERNMENTOF INDIA
MINISTRYOF PANCHAYATI RAJ
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. †4179
ANSWEREDON 19/08/2025
MODELWOMEN-FRIENDLYGRAMPANCHAYATS
†4179.SMT.HIMADRI SINGH:
SHRIVISHWESHWAR HEGDEKAGERI:
SHRIALOK SHARMA:
SHRIJAGDAMBIKAPAL:
SMT.MAHIMAKUMARIMEWAR:
SHRIDULU MAHATO:
SMT.SHOBHANABENMAHENDRASINHBARAIYA:
MSKANGNARANAUT:
DR.HEMANG JOSHI:
DR.LATAWANKHEDE:
SHRIASHISHDUBEY:
Willthe Ministerof PANCHAYATIRAJ bepleasedtostate:
(a) the mainobjectivesofthe ModelWomen-FriendlyGramPanchayats(MWFGP)initiative;
(b) the current status of progress of implementation of the MWFGP initiative including the
number of Gram Panchayats identified andthe status of development of key performance
indicator-baseddashboardfor monitoring,State-wise;
(c) the manner in which MWFGP Panchayats are proposed to be selected and developed in
each district of the country, State-wise and the total number of Gram Panchayats
identifiedunderShahdolLokSabhaConstituencyinMadhyaPradesh;
(d) the detailsof capacitybuildingandtrainingframeworkundertheMWFGP,State-wise;
(e) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure effective participation of women
representativesinworkshopsandfollow-upinitiatives,State-wise;
(f) the manner in which it is being ensured that the outcomes of these workshops pave the
wayfor thelong-term policychangesatthe groundlevel,State-wise;
(g) whether there isany mechanism for elected women representativestoshare best practices
and experiences across State to promote women led governance in a collaboration
approachandifso, thedetailsthereof; and
(h) the nature and scope of collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
in the design, implementation and monitoring of the MWFGP initiative in the country,
StateandUTwise?
ANSWER
THEMINISTER OFSTATEFORPANCHAYATIRAJ
(PROF.S.P.SINGHBAGHEL)
1(a) to(c) Under the Centrally SponsoredScheme of RevampedRashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
(RGSA), the Ministry is undertaking capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
through training of Elected Representatives (ERs), including Women Elected Representatives
(WERs), functionaries, and other stakeholders to strengthen their leadership and governance
capabilities.
As part of this effort, the Ministry launched the Sashakt Panchayat Netri Abhiyan
during the National Workshop held on 4–5 March 2025 in New Delhi to empower Women
Panchayat Leaders with knowledge and skills on various aspects of rural governance. The
campaign also saw the launch of the Model Women Friendly Gram Panchayat (MWFGP)
initiative. The MWFGP initiative aims to create an inclusive and gender-sensitive local
governance system that ensures women’s participation, safety, rights, and empowerment at the
grassroots level. In line with the broader objective of saturating all Gram Panchayats in the
country across all nine themes of the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs),
States/UTs have been guided to commence with Theme 9: Women Friendly Panchayat, by
identifying one Gram Panchayat in each district for transformation into a MWFGP. These Gram
Panchayats will act as learning centres for replication of the interventions made by them among
otherGram Panchayatssubsequently.
Sofar 742Gram Panchayats have beenidentifiedasMWFGPsby32States/UTs. Tomonitor
progress, the Ministry has developed a MWFGP Dashboard with 41 indicators under six broad
sub-themes: Participation in Governance; Education & Skill Development; Access to Economic
Opportunities; Health & Nutrition; Safety & Security; and Advocacy against Harmful Practices.
States/UTs have been trained on dashboard functionalities to ensure accurate and quality data
entry, with baseline data creation currently underway. In Shahdol Lok Sabha Constitutency in
Madhya Pradesh, total 4 Gram Panchayats namely Dholar in Shahdol Districts; Khoka Gram
Panchayat inAnnupur,Ghangri Gram Panchayat inUmaria andTewariGram PanchayatinKatni
Districts have beenidentified asMWFGP. State/UT-wise detailsare at Annexure I.
(d) & (e) For capacity building under MWFGP, training modules and learning materials on
women friendly Gram Panchayat have been developed and shared with States/UTs. A cadre of
310 State Level Master Trainers has been trained between November 2024 and February 2025.
Subsequently, States/UTs have organised training for Sarpanches/Presidents/Pradhans,
Secretaries, and other MWFGP stakeholders in State Institutes of Rural Development &
Panchayati Raj (SIRDs), covering various features of MWFGP; role of Gram Panchayat in their
transformation and integration of women-friendly measures into Gram Panchayat Development
Plans(GPDPs).
To ensure effective participation of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in these
trainings and workshops, the Government works in close coordination with State Governments
and institutions such as SIRDs, providing regular follow-up, review meetings, and necessary
logistical support tofacilitate theirengagement.
(f) & (g) Model Women Friendly Gram Panchayat are being developed as beacon Panchayats,
demonstrating exemplary practices in gender-sensitive governance and actively promotes the
empowerment, participation, safety, and rights of women at the grassroots level. These Best
2Practices are replicated in other Gram Panchayats through capacity building efforts; exposure
visits andintegrationinto localpolicyframeworks.
Elected Women Representatives also share best practices and experiences across
State/UT through workshops, training sessions, exposure visits, and conventions, fostering a
collaborative approach to women led governance. The Ministry further incentivizes innovative
and exemplary practices undertaken by WER under various components of Women Led
Development.
(h) The Ministry has collaborated with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as the
knowledge partner for MWFGP. UNFPA has supported the development of training modules,
training of Master Trainers, and provision of technical inputs to build the capacity of Elected
Representatives and Panchayati Raj Functionaries, thereby strengthening the design.
implementation, andmonitoringof MWFGPsacross States/UTs.
***
3Annexure: I
Annexreferto inreplyto Part(a) to (c)of the Lok SabhaUnstarredQuestion No. 4179to be
answeredon19/08/2025
List of GramPanchayatsselected fordevelopingthem asModel WomenFriendlyGram
Panchayat(State/UTwise)
S.No State/UT Total No. of Total No. of
Districts MWGPs
1 Andaman& Nicobar 3 2
2 Andhra Pradesh 26 26
3 Arunachal Pradesh 27 27
4 Assam 35 27
5 Bihar 38 38
6 Chattigarh 33 27
7 Dadra andNagar Haveli andDamanand 3 3
Diu
8 Goa 2 2
9 Gujarat 33 33
10 Haryana* 22 23
11 HimachalPradesh 12 12
12 Jammu & Kashmir 20 20
13 Jharkhand* 24 34
14 Karnataka 31 31
15 Kerala 14 14
16 Ladakh 2 2
17 Madhya Pradesh 55 55
18 Maharashtra 36 34
19 Manipur 16 16
20 Meghalaya 12 12
21 Mizoram 11 11
22 Nagaland 17 16
23 Odisha 30 30
24 Punjab 23 23
25 Rajasthan 41 33
26 Sikkim 6 6
27 Tamil Nadu 38 37
28 Telangana 33 31
29 Tripura 8 8
30 Uttarakhand 13 13
31 Uttar Pradesh 75 75
32 West Bengal 23 21
Total 762 742
*These Stateshave identified more thanone Model WomenFriendlyGram Panchayatina few
districts.
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