Lucknow, March 22 Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday that if his party regains power in 2027, it will introduce more initiatives focused on the education of daughters and the welfare of mothers and sisters.
Speaking at a programme held at the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav emphasised, "To truly understand a society or a nation, one must examine the status of its women, and an assessment reveals the overall condition of the entire society. In India, which is home to diverse castes and religions, it becomes evident that the situation of our women and sisters is, in fact, dire."
He assured that the party will better implement schemes concerning women's safety, health, honour, and prosperity in the future.
"I assure you that genuine progress is unattainable without the involvement of 'half the population' — that is, women. While the strength of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) lies in the Backward Classes, Dalits, Minorities, and our Muslim brothers, we cannot advance society and the nation without the support of this 'half of the population.' By forming a government through the PDA, we will implement special schemes aimed at honouring women and leading them toward a prosperous life, thereby promoting their empowerment and upliftment," Yadav stated.
Reflecting on the 1090 helpline established during his tenure as chief minister, he remarked, "Initially, many were sceptical about the effectiveness of the '1090' helpline. However, I am pleased to note that once this initiative to aid and ensure the safety of girls and women began, the resulting statistics were published in newspapers and praised by the Supreme Court, which suggested other states should learn from this model."
Discussing the 'Kanya Vidyadhan Yojana' (Girls' Education Scheme) launched by Mulayam Singh Yadav, the SP chief stated, "At that time, there was no specific scheme in the country aimed at facilitating the education and advancement of young women. Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) initiated this program, and every subsequent Samajwadi government has worked to expand and strengthen it."
He added that through the 'Rani Lakshmibai Scheme,' they had previously honoured courageous women, and the upcoming Samajwadi Party government would once again launch similar vital initiatives.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Alok Ranjan, who attended the program, noted that between 2012 and 2017, when Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister, numerous initiatives were undertaken for the upliftment of women.
Ranjan stated that during that period, Akhilesh created a dedicated post of additional director general of police (ADGP), which was held by a female officer. The entire organisational structure under her supervision was responsible for continuously monitoring crimes against women to ensure appropriate action was taken and to evaluate whether preventive measures were effectively reducing such offences.
"Women could even register FIRs via email. The rationale was that if women had difficulties or felt apprehensive about visiting a police station in person, they could simply file their complaints electronically, and every such FIR was subsequently tracked and monitored," he explained.
He also mentioned the establishment of Asha Jyoti Kendras in 26 districts, serving as "one-stop solutions" for women. The intent was to provide assistance where women who faced harassment or became victims of a crime often felt unable to approach a police station directly due to nervousness and apprehension.
"Consequently, these centres were established as dedicated entities, operated entirely by women," Ranjan noted.