Panchayati Raj Institutions and Women’s Empowerment:

in the context of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act

Dr. Geeta Ojha· & Neha Mansi· ·

ABSTRACT
In the words of Nehru “If our independence is to reflect the people’s voice, the greater
1
the power of the Panchayats, the better for the people......” To provide power to the
people and ensure people’s participation in decision-making process is the rationale of a
decentralized Government. Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are prime means of
decentralization at grass root level. There are three obvious reasons behind the importance
of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Firstly, to prevent the pressure of relentless population,
secondly, the necessity of maximum utilization of available resources for the development
and thirdly. To promote people’s active participation in the process of development. In
fact Panchayati Raj Institutions are the base of rural development in all its dimensions.
Women’s empowerment is viewed as an essential component in every sphere of
development. Panchayati Raj Institutions system has the capacity to promote women’s
empowerment. A more active role of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions will accelerate
the process of empowerment of women and will add to their strength in fighting against
gender discrimination.
Keyword:-Panchayati Raj,Constitutional Amendment,Women’s empowerment, implementation.

Introduction:
This article describes conceptual aspects of
the Panchayati Raj (Local self government), its
working and shortcomings, and discuss features
of 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1993.2
To make Article 40 operational, the Balwant Raj
Mehta Committee was appointed in 1957 to study
implementation of Panchayati Raj. In fact the 73rd
constitutional amendment Act provides a new
dimension to the concept of Panchayati Raj and
adopts the concept of people’s participation as an
ideological and constitutional commitment. The Act
also stipulates the following formal pre-requisites
for Panchayati Raj Institutions. (a) Specified
jurisdiction (b) Power and authority in proportion
to liability (c) Required human and financial
resources for the management of the institution.
(d) Functional autonomy in consonance with
federal structure. On the other hand initiatives have
been taken in the direction of social justice and
representativeness. By providing sufficient
reservation to backward and deprived classes in
Panchayati Institutions, people’s participation has
been tried to make fruitful in the real sense.
Similarly initiatives have been taken in the direction
of women’s empowerment. Women’s participation
has been ensured by providing one-third
reservation. Consequently millions of women’s
have availed themselves of this political opportunity
and they have been elected representatives. Now
women are demanding the same for parliament
and state legislatures. It is a fact that the
development of women is not possible without
their active and sustainable participation.

· Assistant Professor, Deptt. of Home Science,M.N.M. Mahila College, Bettiah

· · Research Scholar, Bettiah (Bihar)
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 Empowerment has become a fashionable
and buzz word. It essentially means
decentralization of authority and power. It aims at
getting participation of deprived section of people
in decision-making process. In other words it is
giving voice to the voiceless. Women-
empowerment means equal opportunity in social
services including right to education and liberty,
participation in political and economic policy-
making, equal pay for equal work, legal protection
etc. Like issues have been included.3 In other
words women-empowerment means the
acceptance of women’s dignity in the political,
social, and financial areas and their continuous
expansion so that they (women) may enjoy status
equal to men and join the mainstream of national
development. We may find the theoretical base of
women-empowerment in the concept of social
justice. It demands such as just society in which
special protection has been given to the weaker
section and women. This protection should be
provided not on the ground of mercy rather on
the ground of right.4 Its main purpose is to see
that the benefits of organised social life, social
planning and development should not be availed
of by a few selected person, rather it should be
shared by common people in proper way so that
they all may live civilized life and they may enjoy
dignified status in society. Of course the solution
of women’s problem is possible only when social,
economic and political fields are made more
democratic in accordance with social justice. On
the other hand it is quite true that no other external
factor can make the women strong enough unless
and until they develop and upgrade their own
ability, capacity and confidence. Of course
empowerment is not such a thing that can be
imposed rather it should develop itself. 73rd
amendment Act has provided them an opportunity
to participate in development. If women produce
themselves in an active role the following political,
social and economic impacts may be observed-
The first impact is political-73rd amendment
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Act has strengthened the status of women in male-
dominating political system. So they will have to
be prompt in playing their roles successfully.
Moreover local people, government and non-
government institutions, voluntary organisations
should co-operate with them. Forming small
groups the women too, will have to discuss
seriously different issues. Doing so, they will breed
self confidence. Consequently they will be able to
play enhancing role in the meetings of gram sabha,
planning, decision-making and its implementation,
village affairs. But it is quite true that the power
holders from centuries will not accept this change
so easily and they will try then best to utilize this
alteration in their favour. Reeta Chowdhary
Trembley and Prema Kumtakar have come to a
conclusion on the empirical studies of sixteen
panchayats of a district of Madhya Pradesh that
women’s participation by reservation can not be
fruitful until hostile atmosphere is removed.5A
workshop was organised in Patna on the topic of
training of trainers under the leadership of women
in Panchayati Raj and the role of voluntary
organisations for five days.
The women participants frankly accepted
that their ignorance and prejudiced behaviour of
men with them are a great obstacle to their path of
progress.6 But it can not prevail for long because
the awareness acquired from different directions,
newspapers, televisions and women’s social
organisations are playing active role to realise their
existence. In Rajasthan a group of Mahila Panches
given a statement publicly how they are being
affected by male members and hinderances are
being created in free decision-making.7 This
statement displays the awareness of this deprive
section and its expansion will be helpful to make
them active members of the Panchayats. Of course
special training especially for the women is
necessary in the context of changed role of Gram
Panchayats so that they may execute their role
impressively and successfully.
It is so be noted that training and orientation
13 Vol., 64, No.1,DECEMBER 2019
programmes for the mahila members of Gram
Panchayats are being organised by the Government,
Mahila commission and different mahila NGOs.
Different political parties themselves especially
mahila units have organised different programmes
for training according to the necessity of this
amendment act. Of course active participation of
women in Pandhayati Raj Institutions will not only
make our democratic system strong and
comprehensive but also accelerate the process of
development of rural and rural people.8
Second is the financial impact- Self-
dependence in the field of economy is a very
important factor for women’s empowerment.
Despite being important components of population
and work force, rural women are not only
neglected but also excessively exploited. In spite
of being extremely active and important participant
of agriculture work they are not treated as labour
class. Disparity is maintained in giving
remuneration. This exploitation may come to an
end by active participation in panchayats. They
may promote entrepreneurship by their proper
representation in panchayats. They may create
opportunities for employment by providing training
of small and cottage industries to women. They
may contribute in the implementation of equal
wages act 1976 properly. They may play active
role in the implementation of women and child
welfare programmes through Panchayats. Of
course by assurance of active participation of
women in Panchayats. Self-help groups may
utilized as the chief weapon of mahila self
employment, because with the view to working
together economic activities may be conducted
skillfully. Savings, credit and debit from banks,
borrowing, lending and to have accounts help in
economic stability and self-dependence. Thus
active participation of women in panchayats may
make them self dependent which is an important
factor of women-empowerment.
Third is the social impact- A more active
participation of women in the panchayats will help
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them to have dignified status in society. Panchayats
may play dominating role by creating mass-
awareness and removing social evils like child-
marriage, purda system, inhuman behaviour with
widows, drug-addiction, dowry system, female-
foeticide and priority of the birth of male child. It
is also a fact that women need to be educated and
vigilant in order to participate in the national stream
of development. Panchayats may take effective
steps in this direction. 73rd amendment act has
enriched the panchayats with power. The whole
accountability of primary education has been
offered to panchayats. The representatives of
panchayats among which there is sufficient number
of women are in direct contact of public. In order
to achieve the goal of female education, they can
convince the guardians to send their daughters to
school. Of course it is only education that begets
self-confidence, awareness of rights and moral
strength to fight against injustice. They may be able
to protest against social and economic disparity
and injustice being perpetrated on them. It is to
be noted that the Indian constitution does not
discriminate anyone on the ground of gender.
Moreover special provisions have been made and
enacted for the utilization of power and rights
offered to women. The protection of women from
domestic violence Act has been enacted recently.
It is a historic st ep t owards women’s
empowerment. But it may be fruitful only when
women are vigilant. Mass awareness programmes
need to be initiated along with the proper
implementation of the law. Panchayats may play
active role in creating the sense of awareness
among the women by organising debates, meetings
and taking the help of literature. Voluntary
organisations may play supporting role in this
regard. Of course if women are aware of their
legal rights, not only their dignity will be sustained
but also the prejudiced feelings of men against them
will be changed.
Thus, the 73rd amendment not only ensures
the participation of women in Panchayati Raj
14 Vol., 64, No.1,DECEMBER 2019
Institutions but it is also a significant step towards
women’s empowerment. But at first women will
have to help themselves for this purpose. The
government and non-government institutions,
voluntary organisations and mahila organisations will
have to work together to make the participation of
women real and effective. It is also pertinent that
there should be a change in the attitudes of men
towards women. They should have to eliminate
prejudices against women and welcome the
participation. On the other hand women ought to
come out of their prejudices and self-created
cobweb of centuries old attitudes towards men.
They should adopt views regarding class-harmony.
It is seen that there are certain women’s
organisations raising gender conflicting issues being
inspired by the radical stream of feminism.9 But it
will prove detrimental to women. Both man and
women will have to accept that they are
complementary to each other and are not in conflict.
It is worth mentioning that in the present
era of globalization, the government has neither
the earlier powers nor enlightenment. Now the
state is not in dominating role to provide new
opportunities to women and weaker sections. In
these situations the women will have to help
themselves. They will have to take interest in
political processes for marching ahead. The
primary goal should be to discard in humanistic
models of the development and to develop
people-oriented views.10
Conclusion :
Therefore several challenge and problems
are lying in the way of Panchayati Raj Institutions
that can be removed only by an honest effort of
the state governments and improved awareness
among the disadvantaged groups. Elected local
governments have played an important role in the
implementation on various programmes on all India
basis. It widely accepted that these programmes
where. Effectively targeted in favour of the poor
and women due impart to the involvement of
Panchayat in their implementation.
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The active participation of women in
Panchayati Raj Institutions will not only empower
them but also remove several anomalies in the
development and a better understanding of rural
development will come forward. If Panchayati Raj
Institutions function in presence of formal (mention
above) and informal pre-requisites as mass
awareness, extension of education, communal
unity, change in attitudes etc. and if they are made
more democratic in accordance with social justice,
they can bring about political, social and economic
revolution. There is no doubt about it.
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Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi, 2011, p.-35
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