Women panchayat leaders demand end to proxy rule, push for gender-just governance

By A Representative

To commemorate three decades of ANANDI’s pioneering work in rural women’s leadership development—coinciding with the Beijing+30 review and the global assessment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) progress—a three-day National Convention on Women in Panchayati Raj was held in Dahod, Gujarat, from April 23 to 25, 2025. Organized by ANANDI in collaboration with Devgadh Mahila Sangathan, Panam Mahila Sangathan, Maliya Mahila Shakti Sangathan, and Mahila Swaraj Manch, the event brought together elected women representatives (EWRs) from seven states to celebrate achievements, reflect on challenges, and chart a path toward gender-just local governance.

The Convention paid tribute to the trailblazing women leaders of India’s first constitutional assembly while recognizing the pivotal role of women in Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs)—India’s cornerstone of grassroots democracy. Their leadership has been instrumental in advancing national development goals and fulfilling India’s international commitments on gender equality and sustainable development.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has developed nine indicators to localize SDGs for prosperous villages. However, based on the lived experiences of women leaders, the Convention proposed and adopted a tenth indicator: "Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Free Villages", emphasizing the need for safe and inclusive communities.

The "Celebration and Recognition of Achievements" session honored outstanding women leaders who have transformed governance and empowered their communities. Sheetalben Waghela, former President of Dahod, reflected on her leadership journey and the power of sustained community engagement. Arvindaben Patel, Vice President of Dahod Jila Panchayat, shared her two-decade-long work in strengthening Panchayat Samitis and advancing women’s education and nutrition. Dakshaben Parmar, from Dahod’s District Health Committee, spoke about her transformation into a health governance leader. Sarmitaben Pasaya, a former para-legal worker, highlighted her advocacy for women’s rights at the policy level. Sarmibai from Rajasthan, who rose from grassroots activism to national recognition, credited education and Sangathan mentorship for her success. Devaiben Kangad from Kutch, Secretary of the National Sarpanch Sangh, emphasized legal empowerment for women-friendly Panchayats. Kamli Pateliya from Madhya Pradesh mobilized women into over 24 self-help groups (SHGs), fostering economic independence. Savitriben Baria from Dahod shared innovative election strategies and her advocacy for roads, schools, and active Panchayat sub-committees.

Over 500 stories of change were shared, showcasing how women leaders have ended alcohol bootlegging, secured land rights, improved health services, and challenged regressive norms like ghunghat pratha.

While celebrating successes, the Convention also addressed persistent barriers. Proxy governance remains a major challenge, with male relatives often dominating reserved seats, undermining women’s authority. Caste and gender discrimination continue to hinder progress, as women face bureaucratic resistance and social backlash. Digital exclusion poses another hurdle, as online processes for schemes like Awaas and E-KYC marginalize rural women. Financial insecurity is another critical issue, with EWRs receiving little to no remuneration, making leadership unsustainable for low-income women. Young women leaders often face character assassination when asserting their roles.

The Convention culminated in a charter of demands, endorsed by women’s Sangathans and leaders. Participants called for an end to proxy rule through legal action against men unlawfully occupying EWR roles. They demanded fair remuneration and social security, including honorariums, transport support like free bus passes, and district-level "Sarpanch Bhavans" for lodging. Full implementation of PESA and the 73rd Amendment was emphasized to ensure true devolution of funds, functions, and functionaries to Panchayats. The need for non-digital access was highlighted, with a mandate for offline alternatives for all Panchayat services. Institutionalizing Mahila Sabhas was proposed to strengthen women’s participation in Gram Sabhas and block-level planning. The integration of GBV-Free Villages into SDG localization was also prioritized.

Dr. Kanta Singh from UN Women and Dr. Vibhutiben Patel, a gender budgeting expert, emphasized the importance of intergenerational leadership and gender-responsive planning. The Convention closed with a resounding commitment: empowered women lead to empowered villages. As EWRs return to their communities, they carry forward a collective vision—a Panchayati Raj system where women lead with dignity, autonomy, and unwavering resolve.

Comments

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Search This Blog