Women are strong, no less than others: President

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday lauded women’s strength and achievements, and exhorted them to realise their full potential, saying, “We are no lesser beings.”

Addressing an event organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to mark International Women’s Day, the president said the occasion was not only to honour women’s achievements but also to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to their empowerment.

Murmu highlighted women’s pioneering roles in education, administration, judiciary, armed forces, medicine, science, technology, arts, entrepreneurship and sports.

She noted that rural women are becoming economically self-reliant through self-help groups and providing leadership in village development, while women continue to emerge as leaders in employment, start-ups, and the corporate sector.

“With opportunity and support, women can excel in every sphere,” she said, adding, “Mahilao mei dam hai, hum kisi se kam nahi. Hum mei bhi dam hai (Women are powerful, we are no less than others. We, too, have strength).”

The president underscored that while many achievements have been made, several obstacles still exist in ensuring women’s equal participation in society.

“These challenges cannot be resolved by law alone. It is necessary to change our mindset,” she said.

She emphasised that parents must not discriminate between daughters and sons at home. She said mothers-in-law should not discriminate between their own daughters and daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law should be treated as daughters. “True equality begins with recognising every woman as a daughter, irrespective of her role in the family,” she added.

She congratulated the Ministry of Women and Child Development for organising the ‘Shakti Walk — SheLeadsBharat’ on Sunday as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations. The event featured a walk from India Gate to Vijay Chowk. Murmu also lauded the dedication of women from across the country who participated in the event, highlighting their commitment to India’s progress and the empowerment of women nationwide.

Recalling Dr BR Ambedkar’s words, she said, “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress women have achieved.”

The president expressed satisfaction that the Government of India has taken significant steps to prioritise women’s empowerment, highlighting various programmes including Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao; Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana; Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana; Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana; Mission Shakti and the Viksit Bharat - Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), which includes women-focused provisions.

She also spoke about expanding women’s participation in STEM education, leadership roles in rural and urban sectors and initiatives such as Skill India and Startup India.

“...Women are increasingly becoming job creators. More than half of the start-ups supported under Startup India have at least one woman director. On the Government e-Marketplace, over two lakh women-owned MSMEs are currently active,” Murmu said.

To provide better market access for products made by self-help groups and rural women, the SHE-Mart initiative was launched in the 2026-27 Budget, which will establish community-run retail outlets in every district, she said.

Last year, labour codes were implemented to ensure a more inclusive, safe and empowering work environment for women workers,” she added.

President Murmu concluded by urging citizens to pledge to provide education, respect, and opportunities to every girl child to “prioritise women’s safety and respect, and to strive to eliminate all forms of discrimination in society”.

“By doing so, we can present an ideal model of women’s empowerment to the world,” she added.