Reservation for Women in Panchayati Raj Institutions does
not Guarantee Their Empowerment
Introduction
- Panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) were formalized in 1992 with the implementation of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment acts. The same amendments granted reservation for women in PRI elections. PRIs include panchayats at the village, block, and district level.
- According to the original provision, PRIs are expected to allocate 33% membership seats for women members. In 2009, the Union Cabinet of the Government of India approved 50% reservation for women in PRIs, and accordingly many states such as Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh have allocated 50% seats in PRIs to women.
- Empowerment in this context can be understood as the ability of women to present and assert their views, opportunities to put forward their cause in local decision-making, larger presence in public and political life, enhanced capability of interacting with outsiders, and increased confidence, which can lead to other livelihood and career opportunities.
- Main argument of the essay: Although there are instances wherein the quota for women has been ineffective, there is encouraging evidence that female participation in PRIs has led to women’s empowerment. Thus, instead of criticizing the provision, we need to focus on its effective implementation.
Body
Why was the provision of reservation for women made?
To increase political participation and awareness among women at the local level.
Women have a large stake in the development of their communities, and reservation would give them a chance to contribute to the process.
To achieve political and social empowerment of women by giving them space on a platform chat was previously controlled by men.
Positive impact of this provision
- The quota has made local governance inclusive and accountable, since women are able to take decisions on issues that affect them, and the community in turn, the most, such as liquor ban, healthcare, drinking water, and the use of local forests.
- In a culture where women were not allowed out of the house, there are many women breaking the stereotypes and proving to be able leaders. There have been all women panchayats in Kerala, Sikkim, and Haryana, creating positive ripples in socio-political life in their area.
- Women are becoming politically aware and expressing an increasing desire to become a part of the mainstream political process. This has served as a good example for young girls as well who aspire to make a career in public service.
Arguments against this provision
- In a lot of cases, women village heads end up acting as stooges for male members of their family and have no real decision-making power.
- Many women elected members lack social skills, networks, and education to effectively use their position, and as a result the male members from their party end up being dominant.
- Some political organizations may also argue that reservation of seats for women who may or may not have an inclination for a career in politics takes away opportunities from well-meaning men who can prove to be good community leaders. Further, this also limits their choice of candidates.
Way forward to achieve empowerment
- Only providing reservations in elections is not enough; women need to be trained and educated to carry out their duties as panchayat members effectively. Kerala has successfully launched such training programs, which can be further popularized.
- Efforts should be made by political parties and observed by local administration to give opportunities to genuinely interested candidates instead of family members of powerful men in local areas, who will end up being dummy members while their male relatives run their offices.
Conclusion
- Reservation for women in PRIs was granted mainly with the intention of empowering them socially and politically.
- There are various genuine problems with this provision, such as dummy female candidates, lack of choice of candidates for political parties, and inability of some candidates to perform their duties.
- Despite concerns against the reservation system for women, no one can deny the positive impact it has brought in the lives of women and the social fabric of India. Therefore focus should be on enhancing the effectiveness of implementation of this system instead of focusing on its drawbacks.
Notes
- Keywords: reservation, women, empowerment
- This topic is relatively easier to approach and therefore a popular essay topic in this test; therefore, candidates should choose this topic only if they are unable to write a decent essay on any of the other two topics.
- Avoid making controversial statements on the system of quota or reservation, but also address all sides of the arguments thoroughly.