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The book examines the experiences, impact and responses of rural women who entered the panchayats in India after the Constitutional Amendment in 1992 which introduced reservation of one-third seats for them. Based on interviews of 1,200 panchayat representatives and community members in nine districts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, this book explores two dimensions of this reservation: its effectiveness in bringing women into the public sphere and their participation, and its empowering impact on them. It interrogates the myths of rural women`s disinterest in politics, of the reservation benefitting only affluent women and relatives of politicians, and the widespread belief that women are proxies for their men folk in panchayats. The book argues against patriarchal and unfair nature of these myths vis-a-vis women entrants who have shown leadership skills, increased participation level and changes in attitudes and social practices. The recent debate on reserving one-third seats for women in the Parliament and the policy announcement increasing reservations for women in panchayats to one-half makes this book topical and relevant.
ISBN-9780415596312
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Pages : 220
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