Global acclaim has poured in for India’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana from UN Women Policy Director Sandra Hendricks, who views it as pivotal for female empowerment. The initiative has banked over 290 million women, emerging as a transformative force ahead of the Commission’s 70th session.
Hendricks, speaking to reporters, praised India’s provision of digital identities for its women and girls—one-fifth of the global figure—as a model worth emulating. Easing digital account access nationwide marks a bold, inclusive stride.
PMJDY’s 56 percent female account holders owe much to Aadhaar’s seamless biometrics. Hendricks stressed its role in legislative empowerment, allowing women to bank, business-build, and transform lives.
Echoing UN Secretary-General Guterres’ report, she addressed stark realities: women access only 64 percent of men’s legal rights worldwide due to entrenched discrimination. Solutions lie in rights-based justice that dismantles systemic barriers.
India’s blueprint proves financial tools, backed by policy, drive real progress, offering lessons for global gender equity efforts.