India, Jan. 26 -- From orchard-based livelihoods in Jharkhand to women-led panchayat processes in Madhya Pradesh, rural women are strengthening local economies, influencing governance, and rebuilding local systems as citizens with agency.

India's path to aatmanirbhar Bharat cannot be separated from gender justice. Self-reliance deepens when women control resources, knowledge, and institutions; when governance listens before it delivers; and when communities are trusted to lead their own transformation.

As the tricolour is unfurled this Republic Day, these village-level realities offer a quiet but powerful lesson: The Republic grows stronger when its women do.

This article is authored by Aliva Das, associate director and Rakesh Ganguli,...