Empowering Women through Financial Inclusion: The JanDhan Story

Over 54.5 crore JanDhan accounts have been opened, with 56% held by women. Initiatives like PMJDY promote financial inclusion since 2014, shifting focus to individual banking access. Social schemes enrolments show significant participation of women.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that more than 54.5 crore JanDhan accounts have been opened as of January 15, 2025, with approximately 56 percent belonging to women.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, she highlighted the government's ongoing efforts through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), initiated in August 2014. The program aims to provide universal banking services, initially targeting ''every unbanked household'' and since August 2018, ''every unbanked adult''.

Sitharaman also detailed enrolment figures for key social security schemes, revealing significant female participation: 22.52 crore in PMJJBY (10 crore women), 49.12 crore in PMSBY (22.84 crore women), and 7.25 crore in APY (3.44 crore women).

(With inputs from agencies.)