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WOMEN AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION –PAST TO PRESENT
Dr. Arun Kumar Sharma
Vice-Principal,
NIMS University,
School of Humanities and Social
Sciences,
NIMS University, Shobha Nagar,
Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Mr. Praveen Singh Assistant Professor,
Department of Social Work,
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
NIMS University, Shobha Nagar,
Jaipur, Rajasthan.
ABSTRACT
Women's life in India and the world over are bounded by what can be termed as five 'Ps'
Patriarchy; Productive resources access inadequacy, Poverty, Promotion advancement
insufficiency and Powerlessness". It is estimated that women do two-thirds of the world's work.
In replace they obtain only 10 percent of all the returns and own a mere one percent of the whole
world's income of production. It is a fact that the actual social grade and the genuine rank of
political participation of women cannot be analyzed in isolation. On the converse it is interlinked
with the socio-economic conditions, political environment and inequalities inherent in the
customary social structure, its norms and values, customs and rituals. All these factors jointly
centerline the actual social position of women. The pillars of democracy like liberty, equality,
fraternity, justice etc. are well-built sufficient to maintain and protect the people from the
challenges posed by man-made inequalities. Thus the study of the character and level of political
participation and its resultant empowerment can be evaluated only on the basis of the
availability of democratic values. Empowerment is not quality as achieving supremacy to govern
others, but rather power to act with others to effect change. Political participation is a major
element of empowerment. The present paper highlights the situation of women from the ancient
time period to present time and also tries to show the improvements in their status and
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participation. This paper also makes some suggestion to increase the women’s participation in
every facet of life.
Keywords: - status, participation, empowerment, democracy, fraternity and decision-making.
INTRODUCTION
Democratic system implies parity for all human being persons, men and women. As adjacent to
this basic concept of democracy what is generally seen is that women are expelled from poles
apart walks of life, more visibly in Politics. The U.N. observes that women represent "world's
leading barred category". For the success of true democratic sprit shall be ensured better political
participation. "In the struggle for gender justice", Usha Narayanan argues, "Political involvement
constitutes the first and prime step in that direction."'.
Equal handling to women in political life, to be significant and successful should start from the
grassroots level. To offer exercise and perform in the progression of decision-making, the rural
democratic institutions are the supreme structures to begin with. One of the aims of the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act is to carry out this purpose? "The subject of political
empowerment of women in rural India has implicit considerable importance in recent times
because of the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act. The amendment provides reservation of
seats and posts of chairperson for women in all grassroots level democratic institutions in the
countryside known as panchayats. This is a extraordinary march of far attainment implications
and noteworthy repercussions on the political progression in rural India "As long as women of
India", declared Mahatma Gandhi in 1925, "do not take part in public life, there can be no
salvation for the country". He further declared, "As long as ....women do not come to public life
and purify. We are not likely to attain swaraj". "Ever if we did", he added, "It would have no use
for that kind of swaraj to which women have not made their full contribution."'. The recent
constitutional amendment acts provided superior opportunities to women in different aspects of
political life.
WHAT IS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION?
The study of political participation of any society or section of people requirements to take into
account whether or not it is connected with democratic values. The intensity and level of political
participation of people may be constrained by the very subsistence of both natural and man-made
inequalities. While it is not possible to conquer natural factors of inequalities, but it is possible to
overcome man-made inequalities just by adopting and following of democratic ideology and
values. The pillars of democracy like liberty, equality, fraternity, justice etc. are well-built
sufficient to maintain and protect the people from the challenges posed by man-made
inequalities. Thus the study of the character and level of political participation and its resultant
empowerment can be evaluated only on the basis of the availability of democratic values. The
presence of the umbrella of democratic system is a requirement for the accomplishment of
highest point of participation and empowerment.
Empowerment is not quality as achieving supremacy to govern others, but rather power to act
with others to effect change. Political participation is a major element of empowerment. "Look at
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in participation and empowerment links them bi-directionally, empowered individuals may be
more likely to participate in organizations, and participation accelerates empowerment."The
word political participation generally refers to those charitable activities of members of a society,
in the selection of rulers and creation of public policy. Since popular sovereignty is one of the
indivisible attributes of democracy, the right to participate is a vital feature of democratic
government and an inborn right in a democratic process. Political participation is a basic
component of all political systems. Participation helps the person to be effective and
acquaintances him with the political system. Higher the rate the more varied the forms of
political participation. It is very important to the appropriate functioning of a democratic polity.
The International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences denied political participation as the principal
means by which sanction is granted or withdrawn in a democracy and rulers are made
responsible to the ruled. It signifies such procedures like voting, seeking information, discussing
and proselytizing, attending meetings, contributing financially and communicating with
representatives.
Many writers have truly argued that political participation of citizens is the distinctive mark of
modern states. More than anything else, the modem state is distinguished from the Additional
ones by the extent to which people participate in politics.' High levels of political participation
are generally connected with democracy, which is favorable both to the individual and to the
society. Political participation has been considered as a 'sine qua non' of democracy. Political
participation has been characterized as a civic duty, as a mark of political strength and the best
way of ensuring that one's personal interests are not neglected. Although political power in every
society is monopolized by a few, the incumbents of political authority in every system are found
to be rather keen on ensuring some quantity of political participation by the people. Thus, by
concerning the many in the matters of the state, political participation fosters solidity and order
by reinforcing the legality of political authority.
Mc Closky defines, "political participation implies those voluntary activities by which members
of a society share in the selection of rulers and directly or indirectly, in the formulation of public
policy". Verba and Pye define it as "Those activities by private citizens that are more or less
directly aimed at influencing the selection of governmental personnel and the actions they take"."
WOMEN AND POLITICS IN INDIA
The Indian society is full orthodoxies. On the one hand, foreigners come in hordes to our country
in search of spiritual solace but on the other hand, Indians rank among the most corrupt nation
the world. Again, on the one hand, India is spending millions and billions to send satellites to
space to establish its scientific advancement but on the other the state cannot supply nearly half
the population with the basic requirements of food, education, health and shelter. The same irony
exists in the case of women too. On the one hand, the scriptures put them on a high peclestal. An
old Sanskrit proverb is that, where the women are held in worship there do the gods reside. The
customary belief in the Indian society is that, a society grows if the women grow, if they partake
of the spirit of progress, for they are household domestic legislators, they are the matrix of social
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life. In the Indian mythology, even God is regarded as half man, half woman-'ardh-narishwara'.
On the other hand, according to the UNICEF's recent international report, "The Progress of
Nations 2010", more than 50000 dowry deaths occur every year in India.
"Women's lives in India and the world over are bounded by what can be termed as five 'Ps'
Patriarchy, Productive resources access inadequacy, Poverty, Promotion advancement
insufficiency and powerlessness" It is estimated that women do two-thirds of the world's work.
In replace they obtain only 10 percent of all the returns and own a mere one percent of the whole
world's income of production. It is a fact that the actual social grade and the genuine rank of
political participation of women cannot be analyzed in isolation. On the converse it is interlinked
with the socio-economic conditions, political environment and inequalities inherent in the
customary social structure, its norms and values, customs and rituals. All these factors jointly
centerline the actual social position of women. Not only that, women's status differs according to
region, caste, class and religion and also on considerations of tribal, rural and urban areas." The
status of a person is a big force in participating unconditionally in the developmental process. In
the case of women, their poorer status relegated to them due to fundamentalism of tradition and
religious beliefs blocked them from lively participation in developmental process.
Historically women are imaginary to take ahead the traditions, norms and the values of society.
The process of socialization that they go through in their families does not prepare them for non-
traditional roles. Now, it is sensible to enquire about what the mainstream Indian culture expects
a woman to be. In order to get a suitable reply to such a question, one will have to go throughout
the corridors of the history of India.
ANCIENT INDIA
In ancient India, respect was given to women as mother's image, a symbol of life, strength and
purity, with vast capacity for patience, sacrifice and sufferings. In the Vedic and Upanishadic
periods women enjoyed significant liberty so far as political, social and educational activities
were concerned and thus enjoyed a rank and status in society. In homes, women were given
greater position to that of men .As they were treated as the personification of Goddess of wealth
(Laxmi) strength and education. Woman was depicted as 'shakti', and it was a customary belief
that where woman is respected, there is divine presence. According to Manu, where woman are
neglected, all rites and ceremonies are unrewarding and that family quickly perishes, but where
women do not lament that family always prospers. Rig-Vedic women played a key part in the
family, in the society and even in the political life. They enjoyed first position of parity and were
respected both in the family and society as well. They were not decorative objects but co partners
in life, in its pleasures and hurdles, in its joys and sorrows. They were imparted education like
men and enjoyed significant liberty in their personal matters. These are evidences of women
actively participating in the political activities. They participated in the deliberations of Vidhatha
(the earliest folk assembly of Indo-Aryans) and Sabha along with men. In short, it may be said
that women enjoyed a practically acceptable position throughout ancient times. The communities
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as a whole showed appropriate concern and respect for women, allowing them considerable
freedom in different activities of social and political life.
MEDIEVAL INDIA
The Medieval period witnessed a steady turn down in the position and status of women in India.
Women were considered pathetic and it was the accountability of man to look after them. Since
they were sensitive in temperament, they should be treated with love and care. They were
considered dependent on men throughout their lives. In early days the father looks after her, in
young age the husband and in the old age her sons supported her. Therefore, all her life she had
to depend on someone or the other and never enjoyed abandoned liberty. During this period,
there emerged social evils like female infanticide, child marriage and the practice of sati in the
Hindu society. Such dreadful practices were liable for the worsening of the status and role of
women to a great extent both in the family and in the society. At the same time the spread of
Islam and the beginning of Sikhism provided a curative touch to the ruin of women. Guru Nanak,
the founder of Sikh religion, wanted women to be treated by men as equals. He said, "Within a
woman is a man conceived, from a woman he is born, he is married to a woman and with her
goes through life. Why call her bad. She gives birth to Kings. None may exist without a woman.
Only the one true God is exterior to woman. However, it was a fact that the position of common
Women folk in the country remained miserable. Their only function was bearing and rearing of
children. They were confined to the four walls of their homes, leading ignorant and illiterate lire.
THE REFORM MOVEMENTS
The disintegration of the Mughal Empire in the 18th
century and the resulting political chaos
added to the miseries of Indian women. When the British started ruling on India their position
was the nastiest in the history of the country. From the ideological point of view women were
measured a poorer species. She was inferior to male having no individuality and significance.
From the social point of view she was kept in a state of absolute subjection, denied any right,
totally suppressed and oppressed. "The traditions of polygamy, the defiance of women's rights
over property, child marriage, sati and ban on remarriage to widows - all these practices in this
period resulted in the development of a very weak character of women." The British sway was
positive in the direction of women's uplifiment. The close contacts with western cultural
tradition, literature and education affected very deeply the minds of the Indian leaders. The
natural result was the social movements for reforms of those evils, which were prevalent in the
society.
Consequently a number of reform movements emerged. The leaders and the social reformers of
significance who were in the forefront of the struggle for women's emancipation were Raja
RamMonanRoy, Ishwar Chandra Vidhyasagar, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Swami
Vibekanand, Mahatma Gandhi, JawaharLal Nehru and such others." These social reformers felt
that the social evils can be eradicated by raising consciousness and making people sensitive to
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the. Injustice perpetrated on women. One of the important offshoots of the social reform
movement was the establishment of the National Social Conference in 1887, which provided a
forum for the reformers to talk about various practices and institutions which needed to be
reformed. At this juncture there emerged a number of institutions organized by great social
reformers led by Raja Ram Mohan Roy who is rightly called the father of Indian Renaissance.
The 18th
century reform movements and social renaissance initiated the process of improving the
status of women. While spreading consciousness and pride in indigenous cultural tradition,
institutions like the Arya Samaj, Rama Krishna Mission, the Prarthana Samaj etc. encouraged
social service, educational and reform activities to bring about social change favoring women's
upliftment. The struggle for the emancipation of women took place mainly in three directions -
To make necessary laws for social reforms
To provide maximum opportunities for their education; and
Provide them with the fundamental political rights.
Attention was concentrated on the first two in the 19th and early 20th centuries whereas political
rights of women got attention only during the last phase of the independence movement. With
the beginning: of the twentieth century a number of organizations exclusively for women
appeared among high - caste or elite women. The All India Women's Conference, The National
Council for Women, Women's Indian Association of Madras etc. came into existence.
WOMEN IN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
The Indian freedom struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi inspired Indian women to
enter the open field of politics. He recognized the importance of women's participation in the
freedom struggle. He said, "In the non-violent struggle, women have an advantage over men, for
women are in any way superior to men in their religious devotion. Silent and dignified service is
the badge of her sex. Woman is sacrifice personified. When she does a thing in the right spirit,
she moves mountains".
In the Non Cooperation Movement of 1921 and the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930, new
techniques like picketing and boycotting of foreign goods, liquor shops and non-cooperation in
various governmental activities were used. Mahatma Gandhi had immense faith in the women's
inner strength and their moral appeal. In various non-violent agitations not only the upper class
urban women but at many places, simple unsophisticated rural women also assumed leadership.
Women organized themselves into groups and were willing to join processions, face police firing
and go to prison. They broke the salt law, picketed shops selling liquor and boycotted foreign
manufactured cloths. There were also women who joined terrorist group; and helped in editing
and distributing banned news papers and even manufacturing bombs. The independence
movement brought the two streams of politically involved womenfolk together, the elite and the
masses; both participated in the struggles for independence. Mahatma Gandhi encouraged
women to participate in all aspects and phases of nationalist activities, particularly in the
productive program and the non- violent Satyagraha, for it required not physical strength but
moral courage and spiritual determination. Thus the nationalist movement was, for Mahatma
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Gandhi, not merely a political struggle but a means of regenerating and rejuvenating the society.
It was Mahatma Gandhi who gave a new direction, strength and inspiration to the freedom
movement. He played a key role in extending women's lively participation in political life
through the national movement. While he accepted the concept of women's rights to individual
dignity and legal equality from the beginning, he had viewed the role in the freedom struggle as
supportive of man in the prior period." although the implications of Gandhian social philosophy
were not fully realized even by his followers, the massive involvement of women in the freedom
struggle resulted in the transformation of women's position in the eyes of society. By the time of
independence women from all sections of society had become active in politics. Direct political
participation promoted women's confidence and self-reliance broke the barriers of public and
private dichotomies in their lives. However, while the basic issue of women's right to participate
in politics was hence established, the elements of their political role continued to be an open
question.
The social reform movement which began in the 19th
century emphasized enhancement of
women's status all the way through education, restriction of child marriage, improvement in the
conditions of widows and provision of property rights to Hindu widows.’The reformers were not
very much interested in establishing equality in roles between men and women. They saw
women as custodians of the family and responsible for the well being of children, inculcating in
them the cultural values and heritage of the Indian civilization.
WOMEN IN POLITICS IN INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE
The constitution of free India has guaranteed all its citizens justice, liberty, equality and dignity
through several provisions like credentials of fundamental rights and directive principles. The
constitution of India is the best in the world which has taken care of the deprived and the
minorities. All our laws get their approval from this constitution and any law which violates a
provision of the constitution is declared unconstitutional. The framers of the constitution realize
that a true democracy requires not only equality but also justice. This concept resulted in the
Indian constitution, which not only grants equality to women but also empowers the state to
adopt measures of positive discrimination in favor of women for neutralizing the cumulative
socio- economic, educational and political disadvantages faced by them.
a number of articles are incorporated in the constitution in order to materialize the desired
objective of equality and justice for the women in India. Besides the preamble, the articles of the
constitution, which impinge on our subject of enquiry are Articles 14,15,16 under part 111,
Articles 39, 42, 44 under part IV, Article 5 1 - A(c) under part IV A and Article 246 under part
XI are noteworthy.
The right to vote can be said to be the starting point in the struggle of women for their political
equality and participation.
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WOMEN AND 73RD
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ACT
The 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act came into force in April 1993 and consequently all the
states have amended their laws relating to local self government. As a result, the role and
significance of Panchayati Raj structure became highly critical as well as meaningful. The
panchayat can emerge as model of an effective local organization representing the interests of the
people. State agencies can formulate policies, while panchayats serve as potential instruments for
an effective deliver of programs and services.
The 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act shall be a milestone in the constitutional growth of
India. Since it is for the first time in the political history of India that one-third of the total seats
in local self- government institutions have been statutorily reserved for women, the legislation
has several important implications for the empowerment of women. It has made a silent
revolution in the country.
In the Indian context, a constitutional amendment became necessary in order to ensure active
involvement of women because of the existing socioeconomic and political condition of women
in India. Indian culture and social ethos have, to a large extent, been influenced by a patriarchal
value system. As a result of deeply deep-rooted social attitudes and practices, women by and
large have not been independent decision-makers in the country. The wishes and dictates of male
family members have influenced the decisions in most cases. As a result they are discriminated
against in terms of access of food and health care. Besides, they are discriminated in economic
and political spheres too. The most alarming factor regarding women is that visible and invisible
violence and harassment against them are increasing. The crudest form of violence, killing a girl
child before she is born, exists in many parts of the country. Manu Bhaskar explains the:
biological factors of limited participation of women in politics. She argues. "The inferior status
of women in political institutions also results from the underlying biologism (biologism means a
prejudice based on sex which determined gender roles by biologically assigned characteristics)
of male gendered politics for gender equality.'' In ancient India women enjoyed equal status with
men. Democratic decentralization will be a success, only if all the sections of people participate
in the activities of the local self-governing bodies. So women population must be properly
represented in different governmental agencies,which should start with village panchayats. It is
generally accepted that the political participation of women is very much related to certain
important aspects of women's life such as marriage, family .and employment. Manu Bhaskar
says that, “there is no country in the world today, where women have equal status with men in all
the major areas of life family, health, reproduction, education, work, government, and cultural
expression." It is in this background that one should analyze the far reaching implications of
reservation of one-third of seats. And offices of chairperson for women guaranteed by the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act. It ensures compulsory involvement of women in all grassroots
level political institutions. Bidyut Mohanty argues that, "However, the reservation itself can only
be regarded as the first step in this direction A comprehensive effort will have to be made in this
direction. It is necessary to create proper social, economic and political conditions to enable
women to participate effectively in the local government institutions without endangering the
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positive values of the prevailing family systems. It is believed that legal and constitutional
support and legislative measures are necessary for bringing about social change. Together with
them, the political will and awareness of people are crucial for bringing about democratic
decentralization, a reality by all means. Thus in order to be effective and meaningful, a three-
dimensional approach represented by the political will of the people, people's general political
awareness and the constitutional and legislative measures - has to be developed. By the 73rd
Constitutional Amendment Act, the local self-governing institutions received greater status and
relevance. Moreover, the Panchayati Raj has become the third tier of governance in India.
The 73rd
Amendment to the Constitution of India
This Amendment, dated 24 April 1993, directed all state legislatures to amend their respective Panchayat legislation
to conform to the Constitution Amendment, within a year. All the states conformed and take up new Panchayat
legislation by 23 April 1994. By April 1995 all the states were expected to complete decisions on new Panchayats -
and those who delayed ran the risk of losing central government assistance, as announced by the Prime Minister.
But why?
The Constitution of India was adopted in 1950. It had envisaged (Article 40) that "the State shall take steps to
organize village Panchayats and provide them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to facilitate them
to function as units of self government." This condition of the Constitution was principally advisory. In the following
four decades, some intermittent and indifferent steps were taken by some of the state governments to organize
Panchayats; but they were invariably denied any meaningful powers and authority and, worst of all, the elections
were infrequently held at 5-year intervals as required. This deplorable state of affairs was an affront to the
Constitution (Article 40) and there was growing demand in the country for a definite constitutional mandate to secure
periodical and regular elections to Panchayats just as in the case of Parliament and State Assemblies.
The features of the Act in brief are:
• Panchayats shall have a uniform five-year term and elections to constitute new bodies shall be completed before the
ending of the term. In the episode of dissolution, elections will be compulsorily held within six months.
• In all the Panchayats, seats shall be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes(STs) in proportion to
their population and one-third of the total number of seats will be reserved for women. One-third of the offices of
chairpersons of Panchayats at all levels shall also be reserved for women.
• Seats of the chairpersons of the Panchayats shall be reserved in favor of SCs and STs in proportion to their
population in the State.
• The Gram Sabha will be a body including all the adult members registered as voters in the Panchayat area.
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SUGGESTIONS
It is evident that men’s attitude towards women’s entry into politics has begun to change
from that of total rejection to limited encouragement and in some cases even to active
encouragement. This trend needs to be strengthened through orientation courses and
training programmes for officials and elected representatives, both men and women.
Besides there is a need to train the women leaders at regular intervals to enable them to
manage the responsibilities assigned to them in the Panchayats at all the levels. Since the
hard up women members found it difficult to forgo their wages for attending training
programmes, these must be organized at their doorstep and some of the articulate
Panchayat leaders should be involved as the trainers.
Another important effort required for real empowerment of rural women is to bring about
an attitudinal change in both men and women. The feeling that women are meant for
household activities and rearing children needs to be transformed into a feeling of equal
The History of Women's Inclusion in Political Representation in India
1946 -There were 16 women out of 150 members in the Constituent Assembly.
1957- When Panchayat Raj was first introduced, the concept was to co-opt two women "who are interested in work
among women and children" (Balwant Rai Mehta Committee Report).
1961 -Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act of 1961 provided for the "nomination of one or two
women" to the Panchayat bodies "in case women were not elected".
1973- West Bengal Panchayat Act, also provided for co-opting 2 women.
1976 -The Report of the Committee on the Status of Women (CSWI) demanded representation of women in Panchayat
as well as the establishment of "All-Women Panchayat at village level".
1978- In Maharashtra Panchayat, only 6 women were elected although 314 were nominated. In the largest parts of
India, women were brought into Panchayat only through co-option.
1983- As many as 25 percent of seats were reserved for women in the Karnataka Zilla Parishads, Taluk Panchayat
Samitis, Mandal Panchayat and Nyaya Panchayat Act of 1983. Elections under this Act were delayed for various
reasons and could only be held in 1987. Some 14,000 women were elected out of 30,000 candidates who contested.
1988- Elections were held in Uttar Pradesh for 74,000 village Sabhas, the first elections for 22 years. There was
provision made for the cooption of only one woman. In Panchayat elections, less than one percent of women came
through elections.
1991- Orissa Panchayat Samiti provided for "not less than one third of the total number of seats to be reserved for
women". Elections were held in 1992 and over 22,000 women were elected. In Kerala Districts Councils elections,
while 30 percent seats were reserved for women, 35 percent seats were won by women.
1993- About 71,000 women candidates contested elections and with 33 percent seat reservation, 24,900 women came
in through the ballot box.
1994- In Madhya Pradesh 150,500 women were elected to village, block and zilla Panchayats.
33 percent of seats were reserved for women in village Panchayat and women captured 43 percent of the seats.
2009- The Union Cabinet of the Government of India, on 27 August 2009, approved 50% reservation for women in
PRIs (Panchayati Raj Institutions). The Indian states which have already implemented 50% reservation for women in
PRIs are Madhya Pradesh Bihar,Uttrakhandand Himachal Pradesh
2011-On 25 November 2011, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharastra, Orissa,
Rajasthan and Tripura also reserve 50% of their posts for women
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partnership of women and men. To inculcate this they should be imparted education for
bringing about social and political awareness among both.
Studies on women in politics have emphasized that contact with outside world makes
women more alert and also active in the political process. There could be two ways of
doing it. Firstly, interaction between enlightened rural women and illiterate elected one’s
should be encouraged. Secondly, these women could be taken out to the urban areas and
their interaction with educated urban elected women representatives be arranged.
The women should also be encouraged to organize themselves. The Mahila Mandals in
the village can be effectively used as instruments to mobilize them for this purpose. Some
successful women’s organizations can also act as catalytic agents for encouraging the
women’s participation in social and political activities. The Government should provide
finances and infrastructure to some of the deserving and successful women organizations
to take up the responsibility of encouraging the women elected representatives. The
leaders of women’s movement in the country could also take up this task. They too can
provide support to sensitize the rural women.
Incentives play a vital role in ensuring the participation of elected representatives in
decision-making. It has been noticed that there are certain very active and enlightened
women leaders at all the levels of Panchayats, who have been successfully implementing
the developmental schemes and have ensured overall development of their constituencies.
Such leaders need to be encouraged by publicizing their leadership qualities and honoring
them in public meetings. It will certainly encourage other women representatives and
their success stories and good practices will get replicated.
The media both print as well as electronic can play an important role in creating
awareness in the rural society. It can act as an agent of political socialization for
inculcating the values of gender equality and gender justice.
CONCLUSION
Notwithstanding the honor tic position granted to women in the pre and post Aryan period and in
the Vedic times, that too in a substantive and obligatory manner, made binding on society by the
creed of religion and observance, women of later periods spanning between the middle and
modern ages have been starved of their rightful place of honor owing to a variety of reason both
religious and mundane. Indian society, a vortex of numerous caste and communal combinations,
has paid scant regards for the education and welfare of women culminating in child marriage,
sati, ban on widow marriage, and divorce, to name a few atrocities on them. It is a misfortune
that the rulers never tried to irritate the orthodox religious beliefs by initiating reform, which
would boost the prestige and status of women. Even the few women who hobnobbed with
Mahatma Gandhi and the frontline leaders of the freedom movement were from rich and
educated milieu and did not represent the backward and oppressed womenfolk of India subjected
to all kinds of exploitations and tortures. The leaders of both pre and post independent India paid
nothing to the upliftment of women in various walks of life including rightful representation in
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the legislatures, both at the centre and in the states, with the result that even now women do not
enjoy pride of place in the power centers of legislation, administration and party leadership. It is
to be viewed with concern that NGOs which played a dominant role in social renaissance
elsewhere in the world with extraordinary success, have not paid due attention in India to the
cause of women's political participation and empowerment which would have transformed the
face of its administration, political culture and sense of values considerably for the better.
Politics does not bring returns to the women activists who have got to support their families and
keep their husbands and in laws in good humor. The higher the women's qualifications the lower
their fighting spirit. The male folk think that politics is a challenging career, which demands
perseverance; fighting spirit, ideological convictions and loyalty to the party they belong. Hard
work, extensive travels, the capacity for fund raising and building up party units are not tasks,
which people without grit and dynamism can handle. It is generally believed that politics is bed
of roses on which anyone can be laid. Experience shows that those who come up in politics are
subjected to all sorts of tribulations, backbiting and crises which no ordinary mortal can stand.
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