Panchayat, Gender, and Power in Bihar

This paper examines women experiences in the local bodies and how they have altered the gender relations through political representation in the rural social order. The collection of data was completed by a field study in district of Bhojpur and Jehanabad in Bihar, adopting a qualitative method based on the interview. The paper tries to understand the changes in women's life especially political knowledge, participation, network, protest, their role in society. In this respect, it appears that women reservation is an important tool to reduce male domination. This might bring women concerns in local bodies to a certain extent, thus women may gain confidence to deal with their problem.