Manuscript Title:

POLITICAL REPRESENTATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN PANCHAYATS OF CHHATTISGARH: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Author:

DEEPAK KUMAR KASHYAP, ANUPAMA SAXENA

DOI Number:

661227

Published : 2024-02-10

About the author(s)

1. DEEPAK KUMAR KASHYAP - Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh).
2. ANUPAMA SAXENA - Professor and Head of Department, Department of Political Science, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh).

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

At present, it has been more than thirty years since the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was implemented in India. In this amendment, a provision of 33 percent reservation for women in panchayats, so that the political representation of women could be increased at the rural level so women can be empowered. As a result, at present lakhs of women are playing their role as Panchayat representatives. Due to this, the political participation of women in rural self-governance has increased and women empowerment is taking place. Lakhs of women are participating in the process of democratic decentralization through Panchayati Raj. And ultimately affecting the character of our overall politics. All that is happening, because of the reservation made by the 73rd Amendment. This is a unique experience in the world of democracies all over the world in which lower-level women have been found suitable to sit in political positions and participate in law-making, decision-making, and governance and there is no effect on their educational, behavioral, and socio-economic status. In Chhattisgarh, since 2008, the reservation for women has been increased to 50 percent. The results of which we get to see in the report of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2019 in which the political representation of women in panchayats is 58.78 percent, which shows that the representation of women in panchayats increases the political participation of women, which promotes women's empowerment. This data seems to be achieving the goal of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, in which the representation of women in Panchayats has increased, but there is still a need for many reforms in Panchayati Raj Institutions, which are being addressed by the government. The purpose of the study of the presented research paper is to study the change in the status of women brought about by the political representation of women in the panchayats of Chhattisgarh and to find out how the political representation of women has promoted women's empowerment.


Keywords

Political Representation, Empowerment, Women, Chhattisgarh.