We Women Want Conclave & Shakti Awards 2026 celebrates Women’s Leadership

The We Women Want Conclave & Shakti Awards 2026 brought together some of India’s most influential voices from politics, public life, entertainment, medicine, the armed forces, entrepreneurship and grassroots leadership, celebrating women who have broken barriers and driven change across sectors.

Held at The Imperial Hotel, Janpath, New Delhi, the conclave featured more than 80 speakers across 32 sessions, with over 80 women achievers being recognised for their contributions and extraordinary journeys.

The event also placed a special focus on the Namo Shakti Breast Cancer Screening Mission, which is working to take AI-enabled, radiation-free and contactless breast cancer screening to women across India.

The conclave featured prominent voices including Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan, Union Minister for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Amb. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Smriti Irani, Kriti Kharbanda and a host of luminaries.

Speaking about women’s empowerment, Union Minister Chirag Paswan said, “Women don’t need men to empower them. They are the reason life exists; we should never think of them as weak. Under PM Modi’s leadership, the NDA government has been striving in areas on supporting women entrepreneurship through collectives like Self Help Groups.”

Emphasising the importance of women taking centrestage in welfare schemes, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said, “Empowerment means giving beneficiaries complete agency, making them active stakeholders and the driving force behind everything from design to innovation.”

Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, highlighted the growing contribution of women across different areas of national life.

“Women are working in every sphere of life, from the military and governance to business, science and other fields. They are not merely participants; they are principal architects shaping society and the economy,” he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described empowerment in terms of women and girls becoming the first members of their families to cross traditional barriers and make independent choices.

“Women’s empowerment is when a daughter becomes the first in her bloodline to achieve something, like choosing her own career,” Gupta said.

Emphasising the diverse experiences women bring to public life, Dr Shashi Tharoor said, “Women bring different experiences and sensibilities to Parliament, enriching the country.”

Speaking on the impact of women voters on election results, Smriti Irani said, “A decade ago, women were presumed to vote according to how the men in family decided; today, they are recognised as an independent voter base with distinct aspirations, and parties that fail to address them risk losing women’s support.”

Sachin Pilot, meanwhile, reflected on the importance of women who have challenged established boundaries. “I take inspiration from women who have broken barriers,” he said.

The event recognised women achievers from diverse backgrounds, ranging from grassroots workers and entrepreneurs to women in uniform and those working in public life, medicine, the arts and entertainment.

Kartikeya Sharma, MP, Rajya Sabha and Founder, We Women Want & Namo Shakti Mission, said the initiative seeks to recognise impactful leadership while creating a platform for the next generation.

“It’s been a mission to recognise impactful leadership in this era of women-led development and provide a platform for the future Gen Z women leaders of tomorrow. The We Women Want Conclave and the Shakti Awards are a celebration of the diverse role that women leaders play in our society. This connects perfectly with the Namo Shakti Mission which envisions a breast cancer screening revolution,” Sharma said.

Dr Aishwarya Sharma, Chairperson, The Sunday Guardian Foundation, said the platform has, over the years, brought forward several inspiring stories of women achievers.

“Over the years we have seen so many inspiring stories from this podium. It has been a privilege to recognise the work and life of these women achievers and bring their energy, enthusiasm, spirit and sense of purpose to a viewing audience,” she said.

A key focus of the conclave was the Namo Shakti Breast Cancer Screening Mission, described as the world’s largest breast cancer screening campaign. The initiative deploys AI-enabled mobile medical vans, or Namo Shakti Raths, to take non-invasive, contactless and radiation-free thermal imaging technology to towns and villages across India.

The campaign set a Guinness World Record in March 2026 for the most breast cancer screenings conducted in 24 hours.

The mission has screened more than 150,000 women in its initial months and identified more than 3,000 potential lives that could be saved through early detection. It uses Thermalytix, an AI-powered thermal imaging technology, to provide painless and radiation-free screening while addressing privacy, stigma and accessibility concerns around conventional breast examinations.

Founded in 2018 and hosted by NewsX, the We Women Want initiative is a dedicated platform focused on women’s issues and women-led development. Its programming has featured acid attack survivors, women in uniform, jurists, entrepreneurs, politicians, factory workers, police personnel and grassroots community leaders.

The annual conclave has completed six editions since 2021 across Delhi and Mumbai.

Instituted in 2021, the Shakti Awards recognise women from across India whose leadership and extraordinary life stories have created social impact. Previous awardees have included fisherwomen, drone didis, ASHA workers, women’s rights activists, women in the armed forces and railways, auto drivers, entrepreneurs, designers, business leaders, content creators and Bollywood personalities.

The conclave and awards once again underlined the message that women’s leadership is not limited to any one profession or generation but remains central to India’s social, economic and developmental journey.