At the SCO Women's Forum, India spotlights its self-help-group 'Lakhpati Didi' model

Addressing the SCO Women's Forum in Bishkek, WCD Minister Annpurna Devi pitched India's women-led development story — nearly 100 million women in self-help groups and over 30 million 'Lakhpati Didis' — as a model of women as drivers, not just beneficiaries, of growth.

What happened

• The 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.
• She reaffirmed India's commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its principles of mutual respect, equality and consensus, delivering India's opening statement to the panel on the Role of Women in Economic Development.
• She emphasised that women are not merely beneficiaries of growth but among its most powerful drivers — the essence of India's vision of Women-Led Development and a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
• She highlighted that nearly 100 million women are organised into over 9 million Self-Help Groups, of whom more than 30 million have become 'Lakhpati Didis'.
• She cited Mission Shakti and Mission Poshan 2.0 as pillars advancing women's safety, care and economic participation, and reaffirmed India's readiness to share experience and deepen cooperation with SCO partners.

For Prelims

• SCO: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — a Eurasian political-economic-security bloc founded in 2001 (from the 'Shanghai Five'); India became a full member in 2017. Members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus and Central Asian states.
• Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek: Bishkek is the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, a Central Asian SCO member hosting the 2026 Women's Forum.
• Lakhpati Didi: A scheme to make SHG women earn at least ₹1 lakh/year; the government has targeted creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis — here, 30 million+ reported achieved.
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) / DAY-NRLM: SHGs (10-20 women) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission drive rural women's financial inclusion and livelihoods.
• Mission Shakti: An umbrella WCD scheme (15th FC cycle) for women's safety (Sambal) and empowerment (Samarthya) — including One Stop Centres, women's helpline, and schemes like PM Matru Vandana.
• Mission Poshan 2.0 / Saksham Anganwadi: The integrated nutrition programme addressing malnutrition through Anganwadi services.
• Don't confuse: The SCO (Eurasian bloc, est. 2001, India joined 2017) is distinct from BRICS or the G20; the Women's Forum is a track of SCO cooperation, not its Heads-of-State summit.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS2.18 · GS1.7 · Linkage L2