Bhubaneswar is set to host a rare national gathering of women’s welfare leadership this week, as the National Commission for Women and the Government of Odisha open the first Shakti Summit – State WCD Leadership Conclave from 1 to 3 September 2026.
The inaugural ceremony will be led by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, with Chief Secretary Anu Garg and NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar in attendance. Officials from Women and Child Development departments of 25 states will take part, turning the three-day meet into a working platform rather than a ceremonial event.
The theme — Samanvay | Samvad | Sankalp | Samadhan — captures the intent: alignment, dialogue, commitment and solutions. Delegates will review how laws and schemes actually work on the ground, with special focus on the POSH Act, One Stop Centres, victim compensation, Protection Officers under the domestic violence law, and the strengthening of State Women Commissions.
The summit is designed to close the gap between policy and delivery. States will exchange what has worked, flag what has stalled, and look for tighter Centre–State coordination on women’s safety, protection and economic empowerment. The meeting is expected to end with a Joint Action Plan for a stronger institutional response.
A public highlight comes on Day 2. At KIIT, 300 Self-Help Group women will take part in the Shakti Show — a self-defence parade. They represent a larger Mission Shakti programme under which 5,000 women have been trained over six months in Khordha, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Balangir and Puri. Organisers say the parade is meant to show skill and confidence, not just symbolism.
An Open Forum and Action Resolution session will push inter-state work on standard operating procedures. The agenda also covers POSHAN Abhiyaan, the campaign against child marriage, breastfeeding rooms and crèches, and support systems for acid-attack survivors.
If the conclave holds to its brief, Bhubaneswar will not only host a first-of-its-kind leadership meeting. It will leave states with a shared checklist — and a public reminder that women’s safety is as much about institutions as it is about training, coordination and follow-through.
