Bhubaneswar, September 2: The two-day Shakti Summit, organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Bhubaneswar, concluded with a strong emphasis on translating policy discussions, successful practices and institutional learning into actionable measures for women’s safety, protection and empowerment.
Rajya Sabha member Manmohan Samal, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary (Housing and Urban Development) Usha Padhee, NCW Member Secretary Sudeep Jain and Odisha Women and Child Development Secretary Dr. Mrinalini Darswal graced the event.
Secretaries, Commissioners, Directors and other senior officials from the Women & Child Developments of the participating 22 States/UTs also attended the event.
The session reflected on the key discussions and learnings of the Summit, which provided a platform for States and UTs to share experiences, challenges and successful initiatives relating to women’s safety, protection, empowerment and institutional convergence.
The deliberations emphasised the need to move beyond a scheme-based approach towards outcome-oriented implementation, with the ultimate focus on the tangible difference made in the lives of women and the wider socio-economic impact of their empowerment.
The Summit also highlighted the importance of peer learning and inter-State collaboration, encouraging States to adapt successful practices to their respective contexts and strengthen convergence among institutions.
The two-day Summit concluded with a shared commitment to translate its deliberations and best practices into concrete and actionable measures for creating a safer, healthier and more empowered environment for women.
The collective message from the Summit was clear - empowered women are the foundation of stronger families, communities and States.
A grand Shakti Show was organised to mark the valedictory event, where around 300 Self-Help Group (SHG) women trained under the joint initiative of the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, and the National Commission for Women (NCW) showcased their strength, confidence and selfdefence skills through an impressive Shakti Parade-cum-Demonstration.
The trained SHG women proudly participated in the parade and presented a live demonstration of the self-defence techniques they acquired during the training programme.
Certificates were distributed to the participants, while the self-defence kits provided under the programme were also showcased.
The Shakti Show reflected the larger vision of the Shakti Summit - equipping women with skills, confidence and agency while strengthening institutional mechanisms for their safety and empowerment.
