India Reaffirms Commitment to Women-Led Development at SCO Women's Forum 2026, Bishkek

📌 Summary:

• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi addressed the SCO Women's Forum 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, via video, reaffirming India's commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its principles of mutual respect, equality and consensus
• Delivering remarks on the Role of Women in Economic Development, she stressed that women are not merely beneficiaries but among the most powerful drivers of growth — central to India's vision of Women-Led Development and a Viksit Bharat by 2047
• 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
• Cited Mission Shakti and Mission Poshan 2.0 as pillars advancing women's safety, care and economic participation
• India reaffirmed readiness to share experiences and deepen cooperation with SCO partners on women's economic leadership

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 International Relations (SCO, multilateral engagement) with GS1/GS2 women empowerment angle — women-led development, SHG movement and India's soft-power diplomacy in the SCO region

📝 Prelims Facts:

• SCO Women's Forum 2026 held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
• ~100 million women in over 9 million SHGs; 30 million+ Lakhpati Didis
• Mission Shakti and Mission Poshan 2.0 are key WCD schemes
• SCO members include India, China, Russia, Pakistan and Central Asian states

🔑 Key Term: Lakhpati Didi — a woman SHG member earning an annual household income of at least ₹1 lakh, a flagship target of India's women-led rural development push.