Kerala Rolls Out Women Security Pension Scheme Reaching Over 10 Lakh Beneficiaries

• Kerala launches Women Security Pension Scheme statewide.
• Over ten lakh women and trans women benefit initially.
• Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for women.

Kerala has taken a major step toward strengthening social security with the launch of the Women Security Pension Scheme, aimed at supporting women who are not covered under any existing pension programmes. The scheme was formally inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with pension amounts credited directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts on the same day.

Under the new welfare measure, women and trans women from economically weaker sections between the ages of 35 and 60 will receive a monthly pension of one thousand rupees. In the first phase, pensions were released to 10,58,752 beneficiaries, with the state government allocating 105.87 crore rupees for the initial disbursement. Officials said more beneficiaries would be added in subsequent phases.

Addressing the launch event, the Chief Minister said the scheme reflects Kerala commitment to gender equality and social justice. He noted that financial dependence often forces women to compromise their dignity and remain silent even within their own families. The pension scheme, he said, is designed to give women the confidence to live independently and without fear.

Pinarayi Vijayan also linked the initiative to Kerala long tradition of reform driven governance. He recalled the progressive foundations laid by the 1957 EMS led government and said recent decisions such as making degree education free are part of the same reformist vision.

Highlighting the state focus on women centric development, the Chief Minister said Kerala was the first in the country to systematically implement gender budgeting by allocating a dedicated share of plan funds for women across departments. He added that initiatives like Kudumbashree and neighbourhood groups have played a vital role in empowering women socially economically and politically.

The Women Security Pension Scheme was announced on October 29 along with the Connect to Work scholarship aimed at helping youth find employment. While opposition parties had questioned the feasibility of these promises, the government implemented the Connect to Work scholarship on January 20 by crediting assistance to ten thousand beneficiaries, reinforcing its commitment to timely welfare delivery.

With the rollout of the Women Security Pension Scheme, Kerala once again positions itself as a frontrunner in inclusive welfare policies focused on dignity security and empowerment for women and trans women.