With an aim to strengthen political participation of women in panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), the Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women has decided to explore the possibility of ensuring two consecutive terms for women representatives to enable them to gain sufficient political experience and further polish their leadership skills.
Along with this, the commission has decided to organise regular capacity building and training programmes for elected women representatives. Furthermore, the commission has also decided to hold gender-sensitisation and awareness programs at the panchayat level.
Discussions regarding these proposals were held during the two-day state-level consultation workshop held in Shimla under the chairmanship of Vidya Negi, Chairperson, HP State Commission for Women. Addressing the participants, Negi said that despite being elected to PRIs, many women continued to face difficulties in functioning independently. Highlighting the issue of ‘proxy representation’, she said that in many panchayats, decisions were taken by husbands or other male family members on behalf of the elected women, hindering the development of genuine female leadership and decision-making abilities.
Sharing personal experiences, she said she had faced various social prejudices and challenges after being elected as one of the youngest panchayat pradhans many years ago. “Providing reservations and representation to women is not enough. There is a need to create an environment and society where women are allowed to make independent decisions and establish themselves as competent leaders,” said Negi.
During the workshop, discussions were held to review the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. Later on, Bushra Ansari, Member Secretary, HP State Commission for Women, highlighted the objectives of the workshop and said that various suggestions were being considered to ensure effective participation of women and make local governance more inclusive.
Commission members Reena Daroch, Saroj Sharma and Reena Pandir also shared their views, stating that deeply rooted patriarchal attitudes remained a major obstacle to development of women leadership. They stressed that women should be recognised not only as elected representatives but also as independent and capable decision-makers.
Law officer Yashpal Sharma presented a comparative analysis of panchayati raj laws from different states. Additionally, he appraised the participants about various legal provisions and mechanisms adopted to strengthen women’s political participation.
