India Showcases Women’s Empowerment at UNSC

Speaking at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said the country’s experience shows that lasting results are achieved if women are empowered politically, financially and socially.

“Constitutional reservation of seats in local self-government bodies has brought more than one million women into leadership roles; one-third of elected positions in local government are held by women. The Women’s Protection Bill, 2023 brings this provision to the Indian Parliament as well,” he said.

Ambassador Parvathaneni noted that there is a consistent record of women holding high public positions in India. He stated that there is a female Head of Government and a female Parliament Speaker in the country.

“I am proud to say that we have an outstanding woman as our Head of State,” he added.

Highlighting the growing presence of women in the armed forces, he said the Government of India supports a women-led development model that positions women as key drivers of the country’s economic growth.

“India is investing in building independent and empowered women who bring our society together through digital and financial inclusion, direct benefit transfers and access to education, skill development and healthcare,” he said.

Touching on the role of women in UN peacekeeping operations, Ambassador Parvathaneni said that the deployment of uniformed female peacekeepers represents one of the most concrete and effective dimensions of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

“They build trust in communities. They give hope to vulnerable populations, especially women and children. They serve as a visible representation of women in maintaining peace and security. Most importantly, they help address gender-based violence and ensure that peace processes reflect the needs and perspectives of all segments of society,” she said.

The Ambassador highlighted that India was the first country to send an all-women unit to the United Nations Mission in Liberia; it was a move that inspired thousands of Liberian women to join the national police forces.

“Today, more than 160 Indian women peacekeepers are serving in various UN missions. Additionally, the United Nations Peacekeeping Center established by the Indian Army in Delhi has been training women officers from around the world since 2016. In February last year, India hosted the Women Peacekeepers Conference from the Global South, which brought together participants from 35 countries.”

Ambassador Parvathaneni also reminded that India hosted the UN Women Officer Course in August last year, with participation from 15 countries.

“Our commitment has been recognized with a series of UN Gender Advocate Awards won by Indian women peacekeepers in 2019, 2024 and most recently by Major Abhilasha Barak in 2026. These women have been recognized for their efforts in connecting with local communities, empowering women and implementing women-centric initiatives,” she said.

In his closing speech, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of ensuring that women have the right to representation and representation in the economic, political and social spheres.

“Societies where women are economically self-sufficient, politically represented and socially respected recover from conflicts more quickly and are more resistant to the recurrence of conflicts. The path to lasting peace cannot be walked without women,” she said.