Outcome IND_D_1.2

By 2027, a strengthened and more coordinated, inclusive and accountable governance system is in place at the national and local levels enabling all people, especially most marginalised and vulnerable, to be protected, empowered, engaged, and enjoy human rights and social justice, and lead their lives with respect and dignity.

During the reporting period, India made measurable progress towards strengthening a more coordinated, inclusive, and accountable governance system at national and sub-national levels, enabling improved protection, participation, and realization of rights for women and marginalized groups. India Country Office (ICO), contributed to this outcome by influencing institutional reforms, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and expanding participation in governance processes. At the sub-national level, governance systems in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and Rajasthan became more gender-responsive through the adoption and operationalization of four state-level policy and institutional frameworks, including the Gender-Inclusive Infrastructure Framework, the Gender Policy of the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, the Gender-Inclusive and Women-Friendly Tourism Policy, and the Human Resources Manual of RAJEEVIKA. These reforms institutionalized gender equality principles within public systems, strengthening legal and administrative environments for women’s safety, rights, and access to services. Local governance capacity to prevent and respond to sexual violence improved in urban settings in Bhopal and Jabalpur, where survivor-centred and prevention-focused safety models were integrated into municipal systems. These shifts enhanced coordination between local authorities, service providers, and civil society, contributing to more responsive protection mechanisms and improved access to survivor-centred services. Municipal actions included women’s safety audits, installation of helpline signage, creation of changing rooms for women pilgrims, provision of safe and clean toilets in transit points, awareness activities on GBV prevention and response, and behaviour change trainings for local transport providers to create an enabling environment for women and girls in urban settings. Workplace governance systems also became more accountable. In Kerala’s spice supply chain, improved institutional compliance with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act and strengthened grievance redressal mechanisms increased workplace safety and trust in institutional processes. UN Women capacitate 50 Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (SUPPLYCO)officers, including Internal Committee members, strengthening institutional understanding of prevention, redressal, and compliance mechanisms. To reinforce sustained awareness, UN Women-designed POSH posters were distributed and displayed across five regional offices and 56 depots statewide, strengthening visibility of grievance redressal systems and women’s rights. In the textile sector in Delhi NCR and Tamil Nadu, stronger collaboration between employers and worker representatives improved awareness of labour rights and strengthened access to grievance and protection mechanisms, contributing to more equitable working conditions for women in informal and semi-formal employment. UN Women developed a cader of Gender Champions (650 women and 260 men workers in the textile sector) and 2,476 in the spice sector (1,256 women and 1,220 men) through deep dive interventions.. Collectively, deep-dive capacity building established a strong cadre of change agents, strengthening leadership, accountability, and the sustainability of gender-responsive practices across textile and spice supply chains. At the national level, the governance environment for gender equality financing strengthened significantly. The national Gender Budget reached its highest level to date at approximately INR 4.49 lakh crore (USD 54 billion), reflecting deeper integration of gender equality priorities within public finance and national development planning. Gender budget reporting expanded to 49 ministries and departments, including key economic sectors, while nine states institutionalized gender budgeting within state policies and local development plans. Our direct engagement with the nodal ministry, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), and other line ministries—through regular gender budget analyses of their schemes and programmes, bilateral meetings with senior officials, and ongoing capacity-building initiatives—helps sustain informed and constructive policy dialogue. These shifts improved accountability in public expenditure and strengthened conditions for equitable access to services, social protection, and economic opportunities. UN Women leveraged its triple mandate to strengthen inclusive governance and expand women’s political leadership. To create an enabling environment for policy change, UN Women supported the Forum for Gender Equality, an institutional platform that sustained engagement between Members of Parliament on gender-responsive policies. This normative work ensured governance frameworks reflected diverse gender identities and intersectional priorities. Complementing this policy work, UN Women managed the operational expansion of the SheLeads leadership pipeline. By scaling this programme, UN Women met growing national demand and directly equipped women with the skills to enter political decision-making roles, maturing the ecosystem for women's leadership. To achieve this integrated approach, ICO collaborated with the Regional Office and HQ to align national SheLeads curriculum with global best practices, ensuring a cohesive strategy across all levels of the organisation. Further, UN Women strengthened accountability by facilitating the inclusion of marginalised youth voices in the Beijing+30 review. The CO coordinated across the UN system and civil society to ensure these youth leaders influenced regional governance platforms. At the global level, India’s commitment to international gender equality norms deepened. The Government of India announced a USD 700,000 contribution to UN Women’s core resources and made policy commitments at UNGA80 to increase women’s labour force participation, signalling strengthened political ownership and accountability for global gender equality agendas.

By 2027, a strengthened and more coordinated, inclusive and accountable governance system is in place at the national and local levels enabling all people, especially most marginalised and vulnerable, to be protected, empowered, engaged, and enjoy human rights and social justice, and lead their lives with respect and dignity.

The Government of India’s significant emphasis on gender-responsive budgeting as a measure for women-led development provided impetus to ministries at the national and sub-national levels to ensure budgets for schemes and programmes for women’s empowerment. In 2024, the gender budget stood at its highest in two decades at USD 38 billion. Majority of this gender budget was allocated to socio-economic welfare schemes under Rural Development (33%), Education (13%), Health and Family Welfare (11%), and Drinking Water and Sanitation (11%). Notably, the introduction of gender budgets by ministries such as Civil Aviation and Power signals a broader commitment to mainstream gender in the infrastructure sector. The flagship National Rural Livelihoods Mission- Aajevika , a scheme that impacts over 100 million women through the self-help group movement, was allocated USD 1.7 billion in 2024, double that of the previous year. Schemes such as Krishonnati Yojana , an umbrella scheme for agriculture and farmers welfare, was allocated USD 257.61 million, an increase of 5% from the previous year, and a new women-specific scheme called Namo Drone Didi was introduced in 2024 with an allocation of USD 57 million. UN Women supported the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), to strengthen Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) at the national level covering 44 central ministries/departments and 6 states. The technical advisory and capacity building of over 250 government officials contributed to enhanced skills to integrate gender perspectives in all stages of budget-making. The state of Goa prepared a gender budget for the first time, a landmark shift towards committing resources for gender equality. Madhya Pradesh reported a higher gender budget. For eg, Ladli Behna Yojana a woman-specific schemes aiming to provide financial assistance to 12 million girls was allocated USD 2.1 billion, an increase of 23% from last year. In 2024, smaller pro-women schemes were included in gender budgets at the union level and in Uttarakhand at the state level, a step attributable to UN Women’s technical support. This is a significant acknowledgement of the impact of previously overlooked initiatives. States like Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have also integrated the gender budget within their state online planning and budgeting portals which has streamlined the process of preparation and monitoring of gender budgets. UN Women’s strong relationship with the Ministry of Women and Child Development resulted in the Ministry launching UN Women’s global No Excuse campaign to end violence against women and girls. In India MWCD localized it as Ab Koi Bahana Nahi involving two additional Ministries - Rural Development and Road Transport and Highways - to prevent gender-based violence, showcasing the Government of India’s resolve to acknowledge and address the issue eliciting accountability from all stakeholders and the wider community. The campaign garnered significant attention and discussion on social media platforms, with 531 media mentions, and 142 million reach, over a month.

By 2027, a strengthened and more coordinated, inclusive, and accountable governance system is in place at the national and local levels enabling all people, especially most marginalised and vulnerable, to be protected, empowered, engaged, and enjoy human rights and social justice, and lead their lives with respect and dignity.

The work on Gender Responsive Budgeting, Inter- governmental processes and Ending violence agains t women has led to GEWE being integrated in governance processes including in the G20 Leader’s declaration of India. UN Women’s work through its various programmes has also resulted in creating significant change in the lives of women and girls by contributing to women emp owerment and growth in economic, social and hu m an develop ment along with strengthening c apacities of st ate and central institutions on gender analysis, safety and accessibility in services and gender-based violence. In 2023, UN Women ICO provided critical technical support to several state governments (Goa, Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan), significantly enhancing institutional capacities for addressing violence against women (VAW). Key impacts included: Enhancing Governance Capacities and Institutional Frameworks: Quality inputs in governmental processes, SDG and policy level interventions, developing a framework and facilitating training needs of governments and other stakeholders connected to schemes and policies. Development of roadmaps and facilitation of training needs for government functionaries. India's classification of domestic violence shelter and support services as “essential” post-COVID-19, with 708 One-Stop-Crisis centers remaining operational, aiding over 540,000 women across 35 states and Union Territories. Approval of 758 One Stop Centres in 734 districts nationwide. Adoption of Mission Shakti guidelines to offer survivors of gender-based violence integrated support to facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services, including medical, legal, psychological and counselling support. Training of 973 first-hand responders in understanding gender-based violence and case management. Outreach to 13,144 women workers in Assam's tea sector for health, wellness, and safety programs. Collaboration with SEWA BHARAT for cash-for-care initiatives in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, benefiting 900 women with cash transfers. Significant contributions to policy development and capacity building in various Indian states, as evidenced by: In Kerala, the revision of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy, a major milestone in promoting gender equity, with its final version set to be released in March 2024. In Rajasthan, the impact of UN Women’s study on Mahila Shakti Kendras [1] (MSKs) and One Stop Centers (OSCs) led to a substantial increase in the number of MSKs from 41 to 246. This expansion marks a significant advancement in the state's commitment to women's empowerment and support services. In Punjab, the country office conducted a rapid assessment study for OSCs in Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts, at the request of the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development. The study culminated in a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations, which was presented to the Department. UN Women built the capacities of 465 government officials from the Ministry of Skill Development and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, 440 government officials from 20 Departments and 11 Implementing Partners of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, 359 government officials from Kerala, and 140 government officials from Rajeevika Rajasthan, on effective implementation of Prevention of Sexual Harassment at workplace, Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal. Strengthening Safety and Advocacy: The country office’s advocacy work and safety initiatives included: Partnerships with Pracademic Lab, Police Department of Madhya Pradesh, and the Tourism Department of Uttarakhand for enhancing women’s safety in tourism destinations. The 16 days of Activism campaign (#AbkoibahanaNahi) reached 1,130 participants through health camps, 271 through art competitions, and registered substantial social media engagement (with 4.28 million reach and 19.3 million impressions). Technological Innovation for Support: Regular monitoring and testing ensured the effectiveness of the Sambal Chatbot, a supportive tool for survivors of violence and their allies. UN Women country office launched SAMBAL on the UN Regional Office website on 29th November 2022. The app is a repository of resources and tools to address violence against women. It has been specifically designed to close the information gap for survivors and allies, and help them understand and navigate various issues related to such violence, such as mental health, medical needs, and legal procedures. Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Achievements: U N Women India through its GRB work at central and state level w as able to scale the outreach for GRB engagement to more central m inistries/departments and at state level to 6 new states . UNW ICO strategy is to institutionalise the GRB mechanism at both the levels effectively . One of the significant outcomes of the partnerships of the GRB work by UN Women ICO was the establishment of the project management unit (PMU), at the central nodal ministry- MWCD; which has contributed and supported gender budget analysis of 43 ministries. Government partners at national and sub-national levels gained enhanced knowledge and skills in gender budgeting. Four states (Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Manipur) adopted and institutionalized Gender Budgeting in state policies, marking a significant step in mainstreaming gender in fiscal policies and practices. Inter-Governmental Processes: providing key advisory support to the Government of India on normative frameworks and addressing crucial gender issues in line with the 2030 Agenda. UN Women in India has been at the forefront of advancing global commitments for gender equality and women’s empowerment/GEWE. ICO collaborated with several ministries and intergovernmental bodies, for providing technical advisory and support to integrate gender considerations into critical G20 priority areas, through its contribution as: The New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, a landmark move under India's G20 presidency, which further highlights the G20 leaders' unequivocal commitment to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across key parameters, including education (particularly science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), emerging digital technologies, women's entrepreneurship, labour force participation, gender pay gap, care infrastructure, gender-based violence, workplace safety, and financial inclusion, using a life-continuum and "whole of society" approach. The creation of a Working Group on Empowerment of Women is another substantial outcome of ICO during the India's G20 leadership. Continued advocacy from the highest levels of the organization, through the UN Women Deputy Executive Director’s Office, pushed for an increase in and adoption of gender-specific radical commitments at the New Delhi Summit. [1] Women’s Empowerment Centres