Life Histories of Women Panchayat Sarpanches from Haryana, India
Life Histories of Women Panchayat Sarpanches from Haryana, India

Author: Kavita Chakravarty

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2017-06-23

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 1443873837

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume represents a collection of life histories of women who live in rural Haryana. It looks at the impact of the 73rd Amendment to India’s constitution, which introduced reservations in the political arena for women. The Panchayati Raj Act of 1992 reserved one third of all Sarpanch positions for women, and granted constitutional status to the Panchayat system, outlining its specific functions and jurisdiction. This book enhances existing scholarship on the impact of these changes in that it provides the opportunity for women Sarpanches from Haryana to speak for themselves and reflect upon their journey. Ten elected women Sarpanches share their stories about their lives, from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Their life histories address the following questions: Who are these women who agreed to run for a reserved seat in the elections? What motivated them? Why were they asked to run? What barriers do they face? Do they feel they are making a difference? Indeed, these stories reflect the lived realities of the women impacted by the changes in legislation.

Panchayati Raj and Women Empowerment
Panchayati Raj and Women Empowerment

Author: Nupur Tiwari

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9788177084283

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Panchayats are local governments mandated in the Constitution of India. As per the Constitution, a three-tier structure of panchayats is in place across the country, excepting areas where Part IX of the Constitution does not apply. Panchayats are to be instituted, through elections every five years, except in States with a population of less than 20 lakh, where panchayats at two tiers may be created. The Constitution recognizes the gram sabha, i.e. all the electors in a village panchayat. The Constitution provides that seats and offices of chairpersons be reserved for scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) in proportion to their respective population, and not less than one-third seats and offices of the chairpersons be reserved for women, including within the SC and ST reservations. Women's increased political participation has yielded positive results. Issues central to development-including health, nutrition, family income and education-have taken center stage as women participate in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), village development boards, and other governance structures. India has primarily relied upon this method of reservation to ensure women's presence in decision-making bodies. This has increased de jure, but not necessarily de facto, participation. There is a need to encourage women's participation in other kinds of groups and associations which contribute to an atmosphere of leadership by women. This book discusses the background and future possibilities of women and PRIs. [Subject: Gender Studies, India Studies, Constitutional Studies]

Decentralised Governance, Development Programmes and Elite Capture
Decentralised Governance, Development Programmes and Elite Capture

Author: D. Rajasekhar

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-10-05

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 9811319006

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

​This book discusses the elite capture taking place in the development programmes implemented through Grama Panchayats (GPs), the lowest tier in the rural local self-government structure in India. Inclusive growth being the cherished goal of all the developing countries, including India, the book assesses whether checks and balances incorporated in development programmes prevent elite capture and promote inclusive development. It also highlights the role of community-based organisations, such as SHGs, in ensuring development benefits reach marginalized groups. The policy makers in India introduced decentralised governance to facilitate the participation of marginalized groups in the planning and implementation of development programmes at the local level, and to ensure that development benefits reach them. International agreements such as the Hyogo Framework for Action, Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals also call for decentralised governance for inclusive growth. The issue of elite capture has traditionally been studied mainly from the sociological perspective, i.e., how the local upper/dominant castes and classes garner the positions and benefits. But with the new and structured governance system that is in place at the local level in contemporary India, this book explores how decentralised governance is addressing the issue of elite capture. The study closely analyses micro processes of decentralisation to understand how elite capture is taking place. Additionally, it examines this concern from both governance and economic perspectives. The scope of the book is wide, and encompasses several aspects such as the functioning of the local government, decentralised governance, checks and balances in development programmes, community-based organisations, the upward political linkages and elite capture. It is equally relevant to researchers from several social science disciplines, civil society, policy makers, and implementers from the grassroots to national level government.

Unveiling Women’s Leadership
Unveiling Women’s Leadership

Author: Payal Kumar

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-10-01

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 1137547065

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Unveiling Women's Leadership provides a penetrating insight into the world of Indian woman leaders. The book unravels the unique challenges facing the Indian woman leader who has to juggle several challenges including patriarchy, the caste system, harassment, and society's expectation that she ought to fit snugly into stereotypical roles.