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The IUP Journal of Governance and Public Policy :
Women in Urban Local Governance: Empowerment through Participation
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This paper examines the question of empowerment of women in urban India through their participation in urban local bodies against the backdrop of international experience. The issue has been analysed in the light of the findings of some of the studies conducted in important states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala. The studies show, inter alia, that there has been an increase in the number of elected women in unreserved wards in successive municipal elections. Field experiences also reveal that women have not been able to participate effectively due to a number of constraints. It has been suggested that artificial measures like reservation may only ensure quantitative participation of women. Reservation per se does not guarantee empowerment. Along with a favourable political will, a number of complementary interventions need to be initiated to overhaul the patriarchal social structure. This calls for an organised and sustained mass movement to adequately represent women's interests. The ongoing experiments and experiences suggest that periodic training, orientation and sensitisation can help women representatives perform their assigned functions in a better way. In this regard, they are to be supported by institutions like the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), women's organisations and above all the political parties which may politically enlighten the masses especially on the issues like gender sensitisation.

 
 
 

Over the last three decades, there has been an increasing realisation of the need for empowering women. It is believed that this can be done by taking measures to increase social, economic and political equity and broader access to the fundamental rights. The ultimate objective is to reach that stage of social development at which rights, responsibilities and opportunities of the individuals are determined irrespective of their sex. This, in turn, calls for increased political empowerment of women whereby the women can exercise their powers more effectively and profitably for their own development in particular, and for the development of the society as a whole. The global concern for women's participation, at least in words, was noticed in 1975 when the United Nations declared the decade as the women development decade and adopted some resolutions for it. However, the declaration was followed by the Nairobi Conference, 1985 which called on the participating countries to take steps for ensuring women's participation in politics through reservation of 35% seats in all elections. The idea of `gender mainstreaming' which means application of gender perspectives to all legal and social norms and standards, to all policy development, research, planning, advocacy, development, implementation and monitoring was elaborated in the Beijing World Conference on Women (1995). It came as a mandate for all the member states. The series of initiatives over the last few decades have strengthened the operational dimension of the concept. One of the goals in the UN Millennium Project is promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women. As a result of a wide range of initiatives undertaken following the `women development decade', gender issue has gained considerable currency in the current discourse on development and empowerment.

Since women constitute nearly half of the human society, their empowerment and participation in every sphere of decision making is very important. On the political front, they play a dual role of voters and political representatives. In fact, political participation of women leads to an enhancement of their participation in public life. Several empirical micro-level and macro-level studies have been conducted in recent times to measure the status of political participation of women world over, the findings of which are rather disheartening. The UN Development Report has developed Gender Empowerment Measure to assess the status of women empowerment on a global frame. These reports do not indicate that things are fast changing for the better.

 
 
 

Governance And Public Policy Journal, Urban Local Governance, Non-Government Organisations, NGOs, Political Empowerment, Women Development, Decision Making Process, World Economic Forum, Structural Adjustment Policy, Civic Engagement, Urban Governance, Global Campaigns, Local Development Plans, Urban Local Bodies.