Reflections on New Partnerships between Women and Local Self-Government in India: A Rural Revolution?

Abstract This essay reflects on strategies for women's empowerment in light of the enactment of the 73rd constitutional amendment, Panchayati Raj, in the Indian Constitution, in 1992. It begins with the assumption that women's empowerment implies progressive elimination of gender disparities at the grassroots level. As such, a perspective on women's empowerment differs from ideas about women's development in some important ways. Women's development is primarily a socio-economic concept while women's empowerment is essentially a political project. It is argued here that women's empowerment is indeed a precursor to women's development. The author offers suggestions for increasing women's effectiveness in local government and closes with an evaluation of the last ten years of the manifestation of the constitutional amendment through a case study example. Key Words: women in India, political participation, Panchayati Raj. Introduction This essay reflects on strategies for women's empowerment in light of the enactment of the 73rd constitutional amendment, Panchayati Raj, in the Indian Constitution, in 1992. It begins with the assumption that women's empowerment implies progressive elimination of gender disparities at the grassroots level. As such, a perspective on women's empowerment differs from ideas about women's development in some important ways. Women's development is primarily a socio-economic concept while women's empowerment is essentially a political project. It is argued here that women's empowerment is indeed a precursor to women's development. The constitution of India ensures equal rights to both men and women and has special provisions for the welfare of women to enhance their status in society. But still, after, 56 years of independence, women representatives in politics have been negligible. To fill this vacuum, the government of India amended the constitution to empower women at local levels. The purpose behind this move is to provide more opportunities for women to participate in decision making and thereby to increase the possibilities of accruing more benefits of development to rural areas. The Indian government's decision reflects the challenges in achieving gender equity. According to Mahbub ul Haq (1996), equity and empowerment are essential components of human resource development. Equity in access to opportunities demands a fundamental restructuring of power in many societies. It includes equalization of political opportunities through voting rights reform, campaign finance reform, and other actions aimed at limiting the excessive political power of a feudal minority. The human development paradigm envisages full empowerment of all people such that they are in a position to exercise choices of their own free will. "It implies a political democracy in which people can influence decision about their lives. It means decentralization of power so that real governance is brought to the doorstep of every person. It means that all members of civil society participate fully in making and implementing decisions" (WDR, 2001). Women's empowerment would permit them to compete on an equal footing with men. Gender discrimination has been identified as one of the pervasive forms of institutionalized deprivation. Panchayati Raj assumes particular importance as a means of producing democratic functioning and decision making through decentralized governmental power, thereby restructuring political institutions. The recent constitutional amendment prescribes a structured form of decentralized governance and decision making by emphasizing statutory participation of women at grassroots level organizations. This study thus reflects on women in India's local self-government (Panchayati Raj), focusing on the emerging gender perspectives that can change the status of women in India through political participation. Panchayati Raj Panchayati Raj, the Seventy-Third Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 has reserved thirty three percent of its seats for women in Panchayats (grassroots level local government institutions) and Municipal bodies (urban local bodies). …