1. Increasing and Enhancing Female Political Participation in Panchayats

                                                "A Pilot Project in Siwan and Aurangabad"                                     

                                                     

Panchayats or village councils are a historic phenomenon in South Asia. In India, political power has been devolved to the local level through the institutionalization However, over time people the nature of Panchayats appears to be changing. A pertinent challenge is also the lack of female participation in Panchayats. Through an amendment in 1992, rd the 73 amendment, the Constitution stipulates that 50% of seats in Panchayats are reserved for women. While this has increased female members and heads, in reality most of these are proxy leaders.

 

NANAK, in partnership with Takshila Education Society launched the 'Increasing and Enhancing Female Political Participation in Panchayats' project in February 2016. This was preceded by two workshops organized through NFAC at Delhi and Patna where a number of civil society organisations and experts participated and shared their views. Based on the suggestions received a plan was developed to give focused attention in a campaign mode to awarenessraising on the subject and enhancing women's participation.

Dr. Chandra Shekhar Pran, who is an expert on Panchayats and is the founder of the TeesriSarkarprogramme, is one of the leading resource persons for this project. The aim of the project is to increase and enhance effective female political participation in Panchayats. This will be done in three main ways:

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1) Awareness-generation

2) Building capacity and leadership skills

3) Providing resource material

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A systematic awareness-raising campaign is being conducted where information about the Constitutional structure, functions, and powers of Panchayatsis being disseminated to villagers in the two districts. In conjunction with this, training in gender-sensitivity will be undertaken to bring about a change in patriarchal mentality that permeates into the political sphere and reflects in its power structure.

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The process was kicked off in February through a mission visit to Siwan, Bihar for the purpose of holding a workshop with villagers on recognizing Panchayats as a “third government”, and also to conduct an initial baseline research and survey. At TES's Parivartan complex, Dr Chandra shekhar Pran spoke to a gathering of local stakeholders, comprising panchayat heads, husbands of female panchayat heads, women opinion leaders, students, etc. belonging to the area. There was a strong demand amongst women for similar workshops in their own neighbouring villages, and the following day Dr Pran alongwith the President of TES Mr Sanjiv Kumar travelled to neighbouring villages to conduct similar workshops.

 

In order to initiate and build the project, NANAK has mobilized a resource team from Aurangabad and Patna comprising enterprising women opinion leaders and social workers. These women, along with NANAK's Programme Associate and Programme Analyst attended and coordinated the trainings, and the first workshop in Aurangabad will be organized by NANAK in the end of March 2016.

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