Political participation of women in the local government: An Indian experience

• Main Author: Bhuiyan, Dasarathi
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; JS Local government Municipal government
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/18547/1/ICAW%202013%201-8.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/18547/

This paper proposes to explore “the issues and challenges of political participation of women in decentralized local governance institutions in the state of Odisha in India.” They have been given the opportunity to share power with man by the 73rd Constitutional amendment.But in spite of their representation the elected women representatives are treated ‘as puppet’ in the Panchayati Raj Institutions.Most of them remain silent spectators to the proceedings of the Panchayat meetings and rarely women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions.The internal factors which affecting the process of women empowerment and participation are identified as: lack of awareness, experience, knowledge, skill, leadership quality, low level of education, lack of exposure etc. The external factors which affect the process of participation and empowerment of women are: influence of family, caste, social outlook, patriarch etc. More specifically, most of SC/ST and women representatives were facing the problem of non-cooperation from the official and upper castes/ dominant sections of their Grama Panchayats.Practically it has been found that two heads are functioning at Gram Panchayat levels-she head (de-jure)-the elected women Sarpanch and he had (de-facto)-the real Sarpanch. Most of the elected women Sarpanchs are regarded as a mere ‘Rubber Stamp’ and all the functions of the Panchayat are being performed by their husbands or local elites.Although, reservations have helped strengthening the position of women in PRIs, but reservation alone cannot carry forward this democratic process; the provisions for education and employment by the state, will help raise capabilities and awareness among, together with political mobilization through civil society and political parties.