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 on June 26, 2026. The Minister reaffirmed India's commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its principles of mutual respect, equality, and consensus, while emphasizing the goal of strengthening partnerships and advancing the Organisation's shared development goals.
In her opening statement and remarks to the panel session on the Role of Women in Economic Development, the Minister articulated India's vision of Women-Led Development as essential to achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. She emphasized that women are not merely beneficiaries of growth but among its most powerful drivers. The Minister provided specific statistics, highlighting that nearly 100 million women are organized into over 9 million Self-Help Groups, with more than 30 million of these women having become Lakhpati Didis (women earning over one lakh rupees annually).
Mission Shakti and Mission Poshan 2.0 were cited as fundamental pillars advancing women's safety, care, and economic participation across India. India reaffirmed its readiness to share these experiences and deepen cooperation with SCO partners in advancing women's economic leadership and well-being throughout the region.