Role of Panchayat in Empowerment of Women and Children

ROLE OF PANCHAYAT IN EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The Panchayati Raj system was introduced in the late 1950s to promote rural self-governance and micromanagement at the village and block levels, which owing to their high growth, were becoming hard to manage by a single Nagar Panchayat.

Role of panchayat in empowerment of women

Indian constitution promised a complete quality to women. But there was no adequate participation by women in the Indian political system except for the voting power they got along with the men. By the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts of 1992, the Panchayati Raj system was established in India. This act empowered rural women by giving one-third of their reservations to them. Rural women were the ones who were more distant from the development work and the role that should be played by them in the political system.

Once their political status is improved, it makes them economically empowered and their social status is also improved. This helps to remove the social evils like child marriage, Illiteracy, etc. 73rd and 74th Amendments Act of 1992 brought a tremendous change in the participation of women in the political system. This grass root level democracy allowed women to participate in government decision-making. Active participation in the Raj system makes rural women think about their rights. This made them change their social status.

It was known that women are not only for voting purposes but can now actively participate in political decision-making. Their leadership skill developed. Gender bias is reduced. They became more aware of their rights; also, they started to demand reservations in parliament. Women constitute half of the population of India. In decision-making, there is a requirement for a bottom-up approach. When policies are made for women, if their suggestion is included, then the policy's efficiency is more.

Role of panchayat in the empowerment of children

Bal Panchayat has emerged as an effective medium for empowering children by involving them in decisions about their welfare and other matters. Modelled on the concept of Gram Panchayats, the Bal Panchayat comprises eight to sixteen members and has a president and a secretary elected by the children of the respective village. Introduced in several districts of the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan, these parallel self-government units have been supported by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The purpose of these Bal Panchayats is to make children conscious of their rights and encourage their participation in addressing issues such as child marriage, education, cleanliness of villages, and health facilities. These children, in turn, have been instrumental in making adults aware of their responsibilities.

The huge scale of success of the existing Bal Panchayats in India has helped in setting up a foundation for establishing more such units. Besides, these bodies will also create a sense of leadership, responsibility and cooperation and decision-making ability in children.