UP CM Highlights Women's Safety & 50% Workforce Participation Goal

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Thursday, 27 August 2026

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government is committed to promoting women’s safety, dignity, self-reliance and leadership. He added that various policies and initiatives are designed to support women at every stage of life, from birth and education to employment and financial independence.

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the Chief Minister urged women to tie Raksha Sutras to their brothers, soldiers, ex-servicemen and police personnel. He said the gesture would strengthen the spirit of protection and support the state’s wider security ecosystem.

“When the country was under the grip of Mughals, Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar presented an example of good governance, preservation of spiritual and cultural heritage and women’s self-reliance. Lokmata had undertaken the restoration of hundreds of temples across the country, including Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the government is developing Ahilyabai Holkar Working Women’s Hostels across 11 cities, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Varanasi. Each facility will offer free accommodation to as many as 500 working women, supporting their safety and independence.

Key Highlights:

• Women’s workforce participation in Uttar Pradesh has increased from 12% to 36%
• The government is expanding support through free working women’s hostels and welfare schemes
• Women are also being encouraged to participate in self-help groups, banking services and digital entrepreneurship

“Before 2017, ‘Dekha Sapaai, bitiya ghabraai’ was a norm. There was no integrated helpline, command system, CCTV network, women beat system, or women help desk. Middlemen decided pensions and scholarships. Mafias controlled supplementary nutrition. Disturbances occurred before festivals. When curfews were imposed, mothers and sisters faced the greatest difficulties,” he said.

He added, “If half of the population remained confined to their homes, UP was bound to become a Bimaru state. Earlier, women’s workforce participation in UP was only 12 per cent, which has now reached 36 per cent. Our goal is ensuring 50 per cent participation.”

The CM said UP was the first in the country to deploy women police. In UP, there were 10,000 women police personnel in 2017, and now the number has increased to 45,000.

He further observed that Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana has now turned into a medium of education support till the graduation of the girls. The daughter's marriage will get ₹ 1 lakh from the government. In the case of destitute, old age and the Divyangjan Pensions, 1.10 crores of families are receiving ₹ 12,000 per annum. He also added that the Samajwadi Party used to give ₹ 300 and they used it for half of it.

“We stopped the Samajwadis’ loot. More than 1 crore women have been given ownership rights in the form of gharauni for the houses where they live in rural areas. Housing has been provided to 65 lakh families, while nutrition for mothers and children is being ensured through Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Mukhyamantri Suposhan Yojana.”

Of the 8,000 nyaya panchayats, 50 per cent will be digital entrepreneurs, all of whom will be women, the CM said. Self-help groups are running local enterprises like farming, animal husbandry, food processing, retail trade and handicrafts among the women. Village level banking service is being provided by the BC Sakhis.