Emerging Women Leadership in Municipal Bodies of Jammu Division

The success of democracy and development depends on the quality of leadership and style of their functioning at all the levels of governance. The 74^th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) has been trying to revitalize the urban areas by bringing them in the mainstream political power structure. Reservation for women is a unique feature of the Act. Constitutional status bestowed on Municipalities has laid added stress on women leadership emerging at the lower level of governance. The provisions of 74^th Constitutional Amendment Act were not extended to the Jammu and Kashmir state fully owing to its special status under article 370. However, some of its provisions were incorporated in the State Act. The J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 and J&K Municipal Act, 2000 contained a provision for reservation of one-third of the seats for women in municipal bodies. In Jammu and Kashmir, urban local governance provides an opportunity to the women for the first time to participate in local level politics at the grass root level. It was only in the year 2005, after a gap of 26 years that municipal elections with wards reserved for women were held in the state. The present paper looks into the nature of emerging women leadership in towns and cities and their involvement and participation in Municipal bodies of Jammu division.