Emerging leadership among women: A case study of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh

Women's leadership and women empowerment is ranked high on the agenda of governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies and non-governmental organisations, including women's rights groups. In the political arena in particular, there is growing momentum among governments to foster and ensure women's participation and leadership in governance structures. Provision of quotas for women's representation at different levels of governance has been a strategic tactic in achieving this goal in many countries. The government of India has taken power steps to empower women through local bodies by enhancing their presence through the provision of 33 per cent reservation under the 73^rd and 74^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 in both rural and urban local bodies. Almost two decades have gone by, enough time to assess the effects these changes on the women leadership. Thus, the researchers have made effort to assess the emerging leadership in the local governance in the city beautiful by analyzing the participation of the women councillors in the local affairs of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.