Policy Update
Tanushree Bora
The Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW), launched under the Ministry of Women and Child Development as part of the ‘Mission Shakti’ scheme, represents a transformative approach to addressing the multi-dimensional needs of women in India. Developed under the Samarthya sub-scheme, HEW serves as a comprehensive, one-stop support system that facilitates inter-sectoral convergence across services, schemes, and programs meant for women. It aims to ensure that women can access information, benefits, and entitlements in a streamlined and efficient manner, thereby fostering their holistic empowerment and participation in society. It reflects the government’s larger commitment to ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable development, aligning with international goals like SDG 5: Gender Equality and national visions like Atmanirbhar Bharat.
HEW’s model bears similarities to international best practices, such as Bangladesh’s Women’s Empowerment Programme and Rwanda’s Gender Monitoring Office, both of which emphasize institutional convergence and community outreach. However, India’s approach stands out for its scale and emphasis on digital empowerment. A comparative analysis helps place HEW in a global context and encourages the adoption of successful elements from international models. It allows for a meaningful comparison with similar international models based on factors like institutional design, service integration, community engagement, and digital governance. For instance, Rwanda’s Gender Monitoring Office excels in policy enforcement and real-time tracking, while Bangladesh’s Women’s Empowerment Programme emphasizes grassroots accountability through local women’s committees. Likewise, Kenya’s Huduma Centres offer an advanced digital single-window system for accessing social and financial services. Compared to these, HEW’s strength lies in its convergence of multiple schemes under a decentralized, multi-tiered framework. However, adopting global best practices such as enhanced community oversight, digital personalization, and transparent monitoring could further elevate HEW’s effectiveness and scalability.
Objectives
The overarching vision of HEW is rooted in empowering women across all spheres of life—social, economic, educational, and political. The scheme is grounded in the belief that women must be equipped with access to services and the agency to make informed decisions. To this end, HEW has been structured to provide integrated services that include health care, education, career guidance, digital literacy, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship development. By bridging gaps in access and awareness, the initiative seeks to enable women to become self-reliant and economically independent, while also fostering social inclusion and dignity.
Implementation: National to District
One of the most significant strengths of the HEW initiative is its tiered implementation structure, designed to deliver services effectively from the national level down to the grassroots. At the apex is the National Hub for Empowerment of Women (NHEW), which oversees strategic planning, inter-ministerial coordination, and monitoring of the program across the country. The State Hubs for Empowerment of Women (SHEW) translate national policy priorities into actionable regional programs and serve as the link between policy and practice. On the ground, the District Hubs for Empowerment of Women (DHEW) serve as the most accessible point for beneficiaries, offering localized support and acting as a nodal agency for information dissemination, service facilitation, and grievance redressal. These district-level institutions coordinate with Anganwadi centers, police departments, health services, and panchayats to ensure that women can easily access the support they need.
State-Level Implementation: The Case of Haryana
States like Haryana have taken the lead in implementing HEW through structured programs tailored to local needs. The Department of Women and Child Development, Haryana, has established District Hubs that actively coordinate with Anganwadi centers, self-help groups, and block-level officers to reach out to women in both rural and urban areas. These hubs also act as monitoring bodies, maintaining data on outreach, grievance redressal, and outcomes, which are then reported back to the state and national levels for policy refinement.
Key Areas of Support and Services
HEW distinguishes itself from earlier women-centric programs by its wide scope and integrated delivery of services. At the core of the initiative is the effort to improve access to quality healthcare, including maternal and child health services, reproductive health awareness, and mental well-being. In education, the program promotes basic literacy and higher education, skill training, and lifelong learning opportunities. Vocational training and career counseling are provided through collaborations with industry experts, thereby linking women with job markets and entrepreneurship networks.
Digital literacy plays a particularly crucial role in HEW’s framework, ensuring that women are equipped to navigate the modern economy. Through training programs and access to technology, the scheme helps bridge the digital gender divide. Financial inclusion is another core pillar, with the Hubs facilitating access to bank accounts, credit, insurance schemes, and financial literacy programs. Women are also supported in entrepreneurial ventures through capacity building and links to government schemes like MUDRA loans and Stand-Up India.
Although still in the nascent stage, HEW has begun showing measurable outcomes. Preliminary data from state portals indicate that in some districts, over 60% of eligible women have accessed at least one service through DHEWs. Financial inclusion rates among women in pilot areas have risen by 25%, and there has been a 30% uptick in vocational training enrollments. Several districts also report an increase in reporting and redressal of domestic violence cases, suggesting that HEW is fostering not only economic but also social empowerment.
The success of HEW relies heavily on sustained financial backing. In the Union Budget 2024–25, approximately ₹3,200 crore was earmarked for the Mission Shakti umbrella, including HEW. While this marks a significant increase from previous years, financial disbursement to district hubs has been uneven, often delayed due to bureaucratic bottlenecks. Experts have emphasized the need for outcome-based financing models and regular third-party audits to ensure the financial sustainability and efficiency of the initiative.
Institutional and Policy Convergence
HEW is not merely a service delivery platform; it is a model of institutional convergence. It seeks to bring together various government schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Mahila Shakti Kendra under a unified framework. This consolidation helps eliminate redundancy and confusion, while also increasing the reach and efficiency of service delivery. The Hubs act as facilitators and coordinators, working with district administrations, local self-governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to ensure that women receive the full spectrum of entitlements due to them.
HEW provides a wide array of services to cater to the diverse needs of women. In healthcare, it ensures access to maternal and child health facilities, menstrual hygiene support, and mental health counseling. Educational initiatives under HEW go beyond literacy, incorporating vocational skills and career counseling. Notably, the program also emphasizes digital empowerment through training modules that help bridge the digital divide between rural and urban India. Financial inclusion is advanced through access to bank accounts, credit services like the Kisan Credit Card (KCC), and insurance schemes, facilitating women’s entry into entrepreneurship and formal employment.
HEW is designed to synergize with broader national missions. Through partnerships with Common Service Centres (CSCs), the initiative expands digital access in remote areas. Women are trained in basic computer literacy, mobile banking, e-commerce, and even niche domains like digital marketing and coding. Skill development programs are aligned with Skill India objectives, ensuring women gain market-relevant skills and certification. This digital integration also extends to the monitoring of HEW via real-time dashboards, enabling better data-driven decision-making.
Challenges
Despite its potential, the Hub for Empowerment of Women faces several challenges that need to be addressed for the program to realize its full potential. Lack of awareness among beneficiaries in remote areas, capacity constraints at district hubs, and coordination issues between departments can hinder the timely delivery of services. There is also a pressing need to integrate gender-sensitive training for officials and strengthen monitoring mechanisms using digital tools and real-time data analytics. Moreover, sustainable funding and a strong political will remain essential to ensure that the momentum of the scheme is not lost.
Conclusion
The Hub for Empowerment of Women is a landmark initiative that holds the promise of transforming the landscape of women’s welfare in India. By adopting a holistic and integrated approach, it goes beyond the piecemeal interventions of the past and sets a new benchmark for how gender equity can be institutionalized through public policy. As the initiative continues to evolve, it must remain responsive to local needs, technologically adaptive, and inclusive in its outreach, thereby truly becoming a gateway to empowerment for millions of Indian women.
Non-governmental organizations and grassroots women’s collectives play a pivotal role in HEW’s implementation. NGO’s assist with community outreach, training, and capacity-building, while also acting as watchdogs for program effectiveness. Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and SHGs are crucial partners in mobilizing women at the local level, helping them understand and access available schemes. This collaborative model enhances the scheme’s reach and acceptability, particularly in culturally sensitive or remote regions.
References
Ministry of Women and Child Development. (2022). The Hub for Empowerment of Women under Mission Shakti. Government of India. Retrieved from https://wcd.nic.in/schemes/hub-empowerment-women
Ministry of Women and Child Development, Haryana. (n.d.). The Hub for Empowerment of Women. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://wcdhry.gov.in/publication/the-hub-for-empowerment-of-women/
Press Information Bureau. (2022, March 10). The Union Cabinet approves Mission Shakti – an integrated women empowerment programme. Government of India. Retrieved from https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1804749
NITI Aayog. (2021). Empowering Women for Sustainable Development. Government of India. Retrieved from https://www.niti.gov.in/empowering-women-sustainable-development
About the Contributor: Tanushree Bora is a Research Intern at IMPRI and a student from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. She is passionate about International Relations, Conflict Transformation, and Gender Studies. She aims to contribute to meaningful dialogue and policy frameworks that promote sustainable and inclusive peace.
Acknowledgment: The author extends sincere gratitude to Dr. Arjun Kumar and Aasthaba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance and support.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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