“Local governance and empowerment of elected women” – A case study of south Karnataka

Women's empowerment as emerged from the above is a multi-dimensional one. It involves social equality through redefinition of women's status in existing patriarchal and social power structures that can offer them freedom from impediments imposed by age old customs, beliefs and practices governing status and treatment towards them and ensuring them greater say in social and political spheres. The present study has taken note of such a broader view of empowerment of women, which receives little or no attention in most studies restricting themselves to mere presence in PRIs. This study laid stress on the role women played and the resultant change occurred in their knowledge, skills and attitudes. As the main objective of the present study is to find out as to how women's ‘participation’ in PRIs proves to be ‘empowering’; the term ‘participation’ was conceptualised in three ways subsuming in some form the broader view of empowerment as outlined above: symbolic or physical presence in panchayat meetings, substantive contribution, and development of women members themselves. The present study has attempted to examine various issues related to the implementation pattern of reservation policy and its awareness among women, the nature of participation of women members in different meetings, activities and various development programmes of Gram Panchayats, social reform and welfare activities.