Capacity-building program

In a significant move towards fostering gender-sensitive governance, the Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj (RDD&PR), Jammu & Kashmir, successfully conducted a two-day capacity-building program aimed at strengthening Women and Girl-Friendly Panchayats across the Union Territory.

The initiative aligns with the national launch of the Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat (MWFGP) program, inaugurated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi on March 5, 2025.

The training sessions, held simultaneously in Srinagar and Jammu, were inaugurated by Director RDD Kashmir, Shabir Hussain Bhat and Director RDD Jammu, Mumtaz Ali, along with Director Panchayati Raj, Sham Lal.

The program equipped Block Development Officers, Panchayat Inspectors and Panchayat Secretaries with the necessary knowledge and skills to promote safe, inclusive and gender-responsive governance at the grassroots level.

Twenty Panchayats will be developed as Model Women and Girl-Friendly Panchayats, serving as exemplars of gender-sensitive and inclusive governance in Jammu and Kashmir.

Director RDD Kashmir stressed the importance of fostering a gender-sensitive workplace environment, where every male employee actively contributes to creating an inclusive and respectful space.