Women in Panchayati Raj Structures

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THIS book is a commendable painstaking effort to assess women's participation in Panchayati Raj structures in India. There is a great dearth of material on this theme. A study of this type reflects the general nature of women's political participation in the country as a whole. The author's own micro-level studies of women's role in Panchayati Raj institutions in Andhra Pradesh have been the basis of her interest in pursuing data in other states on women's participation in grassroots political institutions. The author has analysed available but highly limited evidence for as many states as possible, and has had her tentative (?) generalisations supported by the studies of other scholars in the field. Her description of the problem could well be described as the tip of the iceberg.

The main conclusions of this study are supported by what we already know of the participation of women in various spheres. Women's political participation is much less than their work participation. The mass of rural women who form the majority of women in our country spend most of their time engaged in the battle for survival. They have little or no time at all for political activities. Furthermore, their low status in society, their low levels of literacy and awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities, and their ignorance of their purposes and procedures of Panchayati Raj institutions account for their low participation.

There is no lack of dynamism or leadership qualities among rural women, nor is it true that they are unaware of their own needs and those of development. Internalization of their subordinate status and culturally imposed constraints have made women diffident and fearful of taking part in the public affairs. In addition, they have been systematically passed over, not only by men in their families and villages but also by the agencies of the state and local power structures. They have been discouraged by traditional taboos, bullied, and used as proxies of men. The study contends that wherever exceptional women have been sighted, it is because they have had familial support, greater knowledge of the political process, education and higher levels of awareness and finally commitment. Women have proved to be active as well as effective in exercising power.

Panchayati Raj institutions have been virtually reduced to nullity except in a few states. The debate sparked off by the Constitution (sixty-fourth) Amendment Bill, 1989, has not so far touched the issue of expanding women's role in Panchayat bodies though the Bill includes a provision for increased reservation of seats for women. The book has thus come at a right time to generate some discussion on this issue.

As early as 1974, the Committee on the Status of Women in India had criticised the 'tokenism' displayed by provision of one seat for women in Panchayats all over the country. In the context of gross neglect of rural women's economic, social and political problems by all government institutions, the Committee had recommended the need for statutory Women's Panchayats with an integral connection with other Panchayat bodies. Unfortunately, this recommendation was never considered by the Government.

What has surfaced during the last 15 years through grassroots movements of women like Chipko, and intensive research on rural women's problems, capacities and attitudes is that peasant women have substantially different views and approaches to some of the burning problems like ecological imbalance and environmental degradation which are to a great extent the result of misguided development policies. Increasing realisation of this has forced even some of the major exponents of the 'Green Revolution' to exhort agricultural scientists and policy-makers to 'listen and learn from poor rural women, as to what should be the future shape of agricultural and other aspects of rural development.

Had the voice of these peasant women been effective in developmental decisions earlier, perhaps many of the blunders of the past could have been avoided. The National Forest Policy 1988 also speaks about the need for a people's movement especially involving rural women in the restoration of forest cover.

The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Women recommended the 30% reservation in Panchayat bodies mainly to expand rural women's opportunities for political participation. The national women's organisations which criticised many other elements in the NPP supported the need for reservation in Panchayat bodies, but insisted that they must be filled by election, with due care to ensure the representation of poor groups, especially Dalit and Adivasi women.

In today's context it is difficult to forecast the possible social and political implication or the outcome of the proposed Amendment.

THIS modest volume on Women in Panchayati Raj Structures is the sequel to the decision to amend the Indian Constitution providing for, among other things, thirty per cent seats in Panchayats for women with the possibility of this going upto fifty per cent as the Prime Minister stated. The Prime Minister also said that until women stood up and fight for their rights, the support from the government would not be useful. The coming elections to Lok Sabha and to the State Legislative Assemblies on the one hand and the raging distrust that has set in from the relations between the government and the opposition at the centre on the other arose, in some quarters, from misgivings about the motives of the government in giving effect to this important constitutional change. Doubts also would arise about women representatives of Panchayati Raj bodies playing useful roles even if membership is ensured by means of reservation. It is true that adequate women's representation in Panchayati Raj institutions is essential not only for ensuring political participation in the democratic process but also for realising the objectives of Panchayati Raj in general.

Indeed, the attempt to strengthen democracy at the grassroots level through enhancing the representation of women, the most crucial segment of Indian society, is commendable. But the success of Panchayati Raj depends on adequate as well as effective participation of women in the rural processes. It is the decision of the government to expand and to ensure the role of rural women in Panchayati Raj and the interest of the author in the transformation of women's role in the social process in general that led to the writing of this book. The author has been engaged, for the past ten years, in investigating the role of women in Panchayati Raj institutions and the very recent changes in public policy in this area further inspired the writer's interest.

It is well recognised in public policy studies that programme appraisal should include both an assessment of past performance and an appraisal of the content and performance of new policies. Panchayati Raj in Indian States has been in existence for three decades following the recommendations of the Balwantrai Mehta Committee which submitted its report in 1957. The important innovation of Panchayati Raj has been expected to 'usher in a truly democratic set up' and the integration of women in the process of development is regarded as important for the realisation of this objective. Hence a study of the role of women in Panchayati Raj set up is useful to assess the nature and pace of development in rural areas.

At the macro level, the book is concerned with an examination of the working of Panchayati Raj in general. An attempt is made by the author to identify the revitalisation trends present in the system.

Special care is taken to study the role of women as beneficiaries and benefactors in the socio-economic and political processes of development.

At the micro level, the study concentrates on examining the recruitment pattern, awareness levels and the participatory position of the women members of the Panchayati Raj institutions in India. An attempt is also made to examine the relationship between the socio-economic background of women members and the participatory skills.

The contributing factors for active involvement and participation of women in the process of rural development have been identified. The study is also concerned with assessing the role of women presiding officers of the Panchayati Raj bodies. The structural, functional, attitudinal and environmental constraints for active involvement of rural women in the general social process and more importantly in the political process are discussed. The nature and extent of interaction of women of rural India, with the officials, the question of reservation of seats for women in the Panchayati Raj institutions, the type of functioning of women's organisations and the style of rural women's leadership are also discussed.

Do Indian women figure adequately in the rural development processes? Have the rural development programmes meant for women reached adequately? Could rural women come out of the cultural and environmental constraints to take effective roles in rural development? Are the profiles of rural women in the political field still marginal? Could the proposed Panchayati Raj Constitutional Amendment be regarded as a 'Perestroika' in the context of enhancing the political status of rural women? The author hopes that the study provides answers to at least some aspects of these questions.