| Summary, etc |
This volume is the outcome of a recently concluded project work sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi. The empirical study was conducted in three culturally and regionally distinct states of India viz. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and West Bengal. The main objective of the author is to examine the status and position of women in three women-headed states. The 73(1) and 74(5) Constitutional (Amendment) Acts have statutorily reserved one-third seats for women in three-tier panchayats and municipalities. But how far, after a quarter century of the enactment of the twin Constitutional Acts, women have become agents of affirmative change in local government bodies? To what extent do they participate in the local decision making bodies? And do they really enjoy any decision making power in these bodies or someone else control the affairs from remote? These are some issues which the author intended to study. How far women's empowerment has been ensured in local bodies is still a matter of debate in academic discourse and policy decisions. The present study examined extensively the state of affairs and observed women's de facto level of participation and empowerment. However, drawing on an extensive field work, interaction with a wide range of people and studying a rich variety of literature on women's participation and empowerment in political process and especially in local governments, this volume draws some findings and extends some strong and concrete policy prescriptions for actualization of gender empowerment and sustainable development of India. |
