Role of Women Representatives in Gram Panchayat Administration of Odisha A case study of Kendrapara district 2002 2012

Abstract

In recent years Panchayati Raj Administration , political participation newlineof women and empowerment of women are considered as important strategies newlineof development in India. Since independence stress is being given on the newlinepanchayat administration and political participation of women to accelerate newlinethe process of development of rural India. Over the years the development newlinedialogue of our county has become women and panchayat or village centric. newlineWomen are the central catalyst and vital nerve in the gram panchayat area as newlinethey constitute a major segment of village population. Gram panchayat of newlineOdisha will develop with the development and empowerment of women and newlineparticipation of these empowered women in the gram panchayat newlineadministration and in the process of development of panchayats. Since newlineindependence we have witnessed a concern at the marginal participation of newlinewomen in the process of panchayat administration and development. The newlinemeaningful involvement of women in the process of gram panchyat newlineadministration and development is now regarded as an important factor for newlinebalanced and healthy development of panchayats. No society can be termed as newlinehealthy, if majority or fifty percent of its population does not participate in the newlinepolitical and development process. It is also being realized that mere newlineparticipation in politics and development processes are not enough. It has to newlinebe followed by large scale meaningful and effective participation in the policy newlineformulation, decision making processes and in the spheres of development. newlineWomen empowerment and political participation are such vital tools, which newlinecan rewrite Odisha s development story in general and its panchayat newlinedevelopment story in particular. newline newline