Paper Title
A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN RURAL GOVERNANCE IN INDIAAbstract
Rural women play a catalytic role towards achievement of transformational economic, social and environmental changes required for sustainable development of society. The active participation of women on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision making and political involvement is essential to the achievement of equality, rural development, peace and democracy and the inclusion of their perspective and experiences into the decision making process. The leadership and participation of rural women in shaping laws, strategies, policies and programes on all issues that affects their lives. It is possible through political participation of rural women at local and national level. Political empowerment helps rural women to claim their rights to land, leadership, opportunities and choices to participate in shaping laws, regulations, policies and programes. In India when the process of decentralization was established through 73rd Amendment Act, it tried to redistribute power in favour of women through reservation of seats for them in the Panchayats. This step ensured political space for them but it did not translate into ‘substantive participation’ for it ignored the complex social realities operating through caste, class and gender in the society. Trying to rectify the gaps I try to present an alternative model where women would be given voices along with space. The process of gender budgeting which has been started and allocates a sum for women development works.
KEYWORDS : political involvement, leadership. Panchayts women