EVOLUTION OF PANCHAYATI RAJ IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND ITS IMPACT ON WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i4.2024.5422Keywords:
Women’s Political Empowerment, Legislative Reform, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Gender and Sociocultural DynamicsAbstract [English]
The empowerment of women is a fundamental prerequisite for inclusive development and the deepening of democratic governance. In India, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 marked a transformative moment by mandating a minimum of 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), thereby promoting greater political participation of women at the grassroots level. This study explores the evolving role of women in the political landscape of Arunachal Pradesh, particularly through their engagement with PRIs. Drawing on a wide range of secondary data sources, including government reports, policy documents, and scholarly literature, the study employs basic statistical tools such as percentages to analyze trends and patterns over time. The findings demonstrate a consistent increase in women’s representation across all three tiers of PRIs, reflecting both the impact of national policy reforms and the gradual shift in sociocultural attitudes within tribal communities. Despite ongoing challenges such as patriarchal norms, proxy leadership, and limited access to resources, women's political engagement in Arunachal Pradesh shows a clear upward trajectory. This progression signals a significant move toward gender-inclusive governance and highlights the critical role those institutional mechanisms, combined with community awareness, can play in empowering women as active agents of democratic change.
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