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Volumn 13, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 15-35

Engendering local democracy: The impact of quotas for women in India's panchayats

Author keywords

Gender; India; Local democracy; Panchayats

Indexed keywords

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM; DEMOCRACY; GENDER; WOMENS STATUS;

EID: 30944450595     PISSN: 13510347     EISSN: 1743890X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13510340500378225     Document Type: Article
Times cited : (49)

References (62)
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    • The Scheduled Castes are the former 'untouchable' castes, so-called because of the official schedule that lists the various castes of this category that are eligible for affirmative action. The category of Scheduled Tribes includes tribal communities that are similarly eligible. In contemporary political discourse, it is the term dalit (or oppressed) that is used for members of the Scheduled Castes, and this term is frequently used in this essay. The corresponding term for members of the Scheduled Tribes is adivasi (or original inhabitant).
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    • note
    • The next such initiative was the attempt to legislate a 33 per cent quota for women in Parliament. A constitutional amendment to give effect to this was moved in 1998, but has repeatedly failed to get the required support.
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    • This was most famously argued in the Constituent Assembly by its President Dr Ambedkar, who argued against giving the panchayats constitutional status on the grounds that the village is 'but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism'. Ambedkar's Speech moving the Draft Constitution in the Constituent Assembly, 4 November 1948. Reproduced in B. Shiva Rao (ed.), (New Delhi: Indian Institute of Public Administration,)
    • This was most famously argued in the Constituent Assembly by its President Dr Ambedkar, who argued against giving the panchayats constitutional status on the grounds that the village is 'but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism'. Ambedkar's Speech moving the Draft Constitution in the Constituent Assembly, 4 November 1948. Reproduced in B. Shiva Rao (ed.), The Framing of India's Constitution: Select Documents, Vol. IV (New Delhi: Indian Institute of Public Administration, 1968), p. 429.
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    • note
    • There are three levels of panchayats: At the level of the village, the block and the district, respectively. The base of the pyramid is the gram sabha or village assembly, comprising all registered voters above the age of 18 years. The existence of the middle tier depends upon the size and population of the district, and as a result the panchayat structure could be two-tiered or three-tiered in organization.
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    • For a brief overview of this debate, in the literature on women in development and gender and development, see the discussion in Shirin Rai, (Cambridge: Polity Press,), Ch. 2
    • For a brief overview of this debate, in the literature on women in development and gender and development, see the discussion in Shirin Rai, Gender and the Political Economy of Development: From Nationalism to Globalization (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2002), Ch. 2.
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    • In an interesting compromise, Kate Young has suggested using the terms practical gender 'needs' with strategic gender 'interests', which retains the essence of Molyneux's distinction, while at the same time not giving practical gender needs the status of interests. Cited in (Delhi: Kali for Women,)
    • In an interesting compromise, Kate Young has suggested using the terms practical gender 'needs' with strategic gender 'interests', which retains the essence of Molyneux's distinction, while at the same time not giving practical gender needs the status of interests. Cited in Naila Kabeer, Reversed Realities: Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought (Delhi: Kali for Women, 1994), p. 300.
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    • Cf. Martha Nussbaum's argument that it is possible to define a feminist philosophy that is 'strongly universalist, committed to cross-cultural norms of justice, equality, and rights, and at the same time sensitive to local particularity, and to the many ways in which circumstances shape not only options but also beliefs and preferences'; (Delhi: Kali for Women)
    • Cf. Martha Nussbaum's argument that it is possible to define a feminist philosophy that is 'strongly universalist, committed to cross-cultural norms of justice, equality, and rights, and at the same time sensitive to local particularity, and to the many ways in which circumstances shape not only options but also beliefs and preferences'; Martha Nussbaum, Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach (Delhi: Kali for Women, 2000) p. 7.
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  • 23
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    • Of the states which failed to meet the quota, Uttar Pradesh failed at all three levels, while Karnataka exceeded the quota with over 40 per cent women representatives at all levels. As for women chairpersons at the various levels, only Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu met the quota at all three tiers
    • Of the states which failed to meet the quota, Uttar Pradesh failed at all three levels, while Karnataka exceeded the quota with over 40 per cent women representatives at all levels. As for women chairpersons at the various levels, only Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu met the quota at all three tiers.
  • 26
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    • In these states, 23 per cent of women were educated up to primary school level, while 9.5 per cent were college-educated. This is accounted for by distinct reasons in each case. The districts chosen in Tamil Nadu were those that had experienced fairly successful mass literacy campaigns. Cf. (Chennai: M.S. Swaminathan Foundation,)
    • In these states, 23 per cent of women were educated up to primary school level, while 9.5 per cent were college-educated. This is accounted for by distinct reasons in each case. The districts chosen in Tamil Nadu were those that had experienced fairly successful mass literacy campaigns. Cf. Athreya et al., Women's Participation in Panchayati Raj: Tamil Nadu (Chennai: M.S. Swaminathan Foundation, 1998), p. 2.
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    • Female literacy in the Garhwal region is higher than the average of the state of Uttar Pradesh, to which it then belonged. In Orissa, the Gram Panchayat Act makes literacy mandatory for the representatives. See (October-December)
    • Female literacy in the Garhwal region is higher than the average of the state of Uttar Pradesh, to which it then belonged. In Orissa, the Gram Panchayat Act makes literacy mandatory for the representatives. See Snehalata Panda, 'Emerging Pattern of Leadership Among Rural Women in Orissa', Indian Journal of Public Administration (October-December 1996), p. 726.
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    • OBC is an acronym for Other Backward Classes, an official category that describes the middle castes, as opposed to the higher castes, on the one hand, and the scheduled castes on the other. The OBCs were so characterized by official commissions because of their 'social and educational backwardness'.
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    • Cf. (Chennai: M.S. Swaminathan Foundation,), For instance, 62 per cent of women panchayat members in two districts of Tamil Nadu claimed involvement in party enrolment, addressing public meetings and collecting funds. Cf
    • For instance, 62 per cent of women panchayat members in two districts of Tamil Nadu claimed involvement in party enrolment, addressing public meetings and collecting funds. Cf. V. B. Athreya et al. (note 23), pp. 17-18.
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    • In Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, dalit and tribal women are seen to consistently report higher levels of political affiliation In Garhwal, women representatives had a history of involvement with Mahila Mandals, while in some other states, they have been active in campaigns for prohibition or in the women's wing of national political parties. (New Delhi: Centre for Women's Development Studies,)
    • In Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, dalit and tribal women are seen to consistently report higher levels of political affiliation (Buch, note 21, p. 89). In Garhwal, women representatives had a history of involvement with Mahila Mandals, while in some other states, they have been active in campaigns for prohibition or in the women's wing of national political parties.
    • (1999) From Oppression to Assertion: A Study of Panchayats and Women in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh , pp. 89
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    • There are marked regional variations in this respect also. The three-state by for example, found that only 8 per cent of women representatives reported the veil as a constraint. This figure is an average of widely varying state percentages: thus, 2 per cent of Uttar Pradesh respondents, 8.5 per cent of Madhya Pradesh respondents and 13.4 per cent of Rajasthan respondents reported the veil as a constraint. (New Delhi: Centre for Women's Development Studies,)
    • There are marked regional variations in this respect also. The three-state by Buch (note 21), for example, found that only 8 per cent of women representatives reported the veil as a constraint. This figure is an average of widely varying state percentages: Thus, 2 per cent of Uttar Pradesh respondents, 8.5 per cent of Madhya Pradesh respondents and 13.4 per cent of Rajasthan respondents reported the veil as a constraint.
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    • A form of whole-wheat bread
    • A form of whole-wheat bread.
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    • note
    • Ambedkar villages are those villages chosen for the implementation of the special programmes for dalits that were initiated by the state government of Uttar Pradesh under the chief ministership of Mayawati, the dalit woman leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
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    • Author's fieldwork in Tehri Garhwal district
    • Author's fieldwork in Tehri Garhwal district.
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    • George Matthew and Ramesh C. Nayak, 'Panchayats at Work: What it means for the oppressed', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 31, No. 27 (6 July 1996), p. 1768.
    • (1996) Economic and Political Weekly , vol.31 , Issue.27 , pp. 1768
    • Matthew, G.1    Nayak, R.C.2
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    • Note
    • In many states, safeguards have been attempted against such misuse, for instance in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the legislations prohibit a no-confidence motion in the first two years after election, and again for a whole year after an unsuccessful no-confidence motion. In Madhya Pradesh, no-confidence motions are disallowed in the last six months of the five-year tenure of the panchayat.
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    • Ashim Mukhopadhyay, 'Kultikri: West Bengal's Only All-Women Gram Panchayat', Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 30, No. 22 (3 June 1995), pp. 1284-5.
    • (1995) Economic and Political Weekly , vol.30 , Issue.22 , pp. 1284-1285
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    • 'Transformative Politics: Dimensions of Women's Participation in Panchayati Raj'
    • January-June
    • Kumud Sharma, 'Transformative Politics: Dimensions of Women's Participation in Panchayati Raj', Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1. January-June (1998), p. 40.
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