Impact Of Women’s Reservation In Panchayats: Transforming Grassroots Democracy In India
- IJLLR Journal
- 21 hours ago
- 1 min read
Vaishnaavi V, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai
Dr. Saji Sivan S, Associate Professor at Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai
ABSTRACT
The reservation of seats for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions, introduced through the Seventy-Third Constitutional Amendment, represents one of the most transformative experiments in democratic decentralization in independent India. By mandating women’s participation in local self- governance, the reform sought not only to correct historical political exclusion but also to reconfigure the nature of grassroots leadership. This article critically examines the impact of women’s reservation in Panchayats by moving beyond numerical representation to assess its substantive, social, and institutional consequences. Drawing upon empirical studies, policy analyses, and illustrative case studies, it argues that women leaders have often reoriented governance priorities toward basic services, social welfare, and community well-being, while simultaneously challenging entrenched gender norms. At the same time, the article highlights persistent constraints, including proxy leadership, caste- and class-based discrimination, and institutional weaknesses that limit women’s effective exercise of power. By situating women’s political participation within broader debates on democratic inclusion and empowerment, this paper contends that reservation has not merely altered local governance structures but has also contributed to a slow, uneven, yet profound transformation of India’s democratic imagination. Ultimately, the article underscores that women’s reservation in Panchayats is not simply a policy of representation, but a continuing project of social change from below.
