The government of Bihar, under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is dedicated to empowering women and recognizing their role in societal progress. The Panchayati Raj Department is a key player in implementing this strategy. The department strives to empower women at the grassroots level.
Of the 38 gram panchayats selected to be model women-friendly panchayats, 29 are led by women. Panchayati Raj Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta emphasized that the holistic development of the state and nation hinges on the progress of these gram panchayats.
To foster leadership skills among women representatives, the government offers continuous training programs, alongside providing them with the necessary rights.
The ‘Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan’ was launched in New Delhi to coincide with International Women’s Day 2025. This initiative saw the participation of women panchayat representatives from Bihar and aimed to establish model women-friendly gram panchayats across all districts nationwide. Following this, each district in the state chose a gram panchayat to be an ideal example of a women-friendly body.
In 2024, three gram panchayats from Bihar were recognized with the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sustainable Development Award for their achievements. Two of the winning gram panchayats are led by women.
On National Panchayati Raj Day 2025, Motipur Gram Panchayat from Samastipur district received a special award for ‘Climate Action.’ This panchayat is led by Prema Devi.