Even after several years of reservation in rural local bodies, devolution of power to women members has largely remained “symbolic” and they continue to depend on male relatives and officials for discharging their roles and responsibilities, according to a latest research work.
A study conducted by Bengaluru-based Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) points out that there is a continued tendency to “view women members of gram panchayats (GPs) as proxies” and male members in the households continue to exercise powers.
This is the finding of a research work — ‘Engendering Local Governance: A case from rural Karnataka’ — conducted by N. Sivanna, Manjula Bharathy, and K.G. Gayathridevi (ISEC) in association with TISS, Mumbai, in five districts of Kalaburagi, Bagalkot, Ballari, Mandya, and Dakshina Kannada. The study noted that despite 42.91 per cent of the total GP members being women — outdoing the assigned quota of one-third in all five districts — these members are unable to exercise powers owing to lack of support from the family.
While the women have some enhanced social recognition, patriarchal values and roles remain markedly unchanged for many, finds the study.
Old roles
Nearly all women representatives continued to shoulder household work such as daily chores, working in the farm, rolling beedies (in Dakshina Kannada and Mandya), and daily wage work.
They continued to spend the same amount of time on domestic work even after getting elected to GPs.
Women members’ attendance in meetings was “not up to the mark”, and often, their husbands or sons attended meetings on their behalf. Elected women representatives were “mere puppets” in the hands of powerful interest groups in the village.
The study, based on a sample survey of elected women representatives and their households, observed that power in GPs remained within the hands of individuals/groups belonging to specific castes/classes. “These people were in the post of president or as members for more than 30 to 40 years. Their power equations were based on inter-personal relationships and vested interests.”
Noting the functioning of GPs in northern districts, it further says: “In some villages, GP offices remained locked for years, and in some others, it served as a place for playing cards, gambling, or drinking. In some villages, GP offices were used as storehouses for fodder by the upper caste and other powerful groups.”
Prejudices thrive
Another shocking find was that 38.3 p.c. of women in Kalaburagi district said that men were “more efficient and effective than women” in managing their role as leaders. Similar was the opinion of 33.3 p.c. women in Bagalkot, 26.7 p.c. in Mandya, 45 p.c. in Ballari, and just 5 p.c. in Dakshina Kannada.
More than 40 p.c. of respondents still believed that patriarchy was necessary for effective functioning of the society, highest being in Ballari (56.7 p.c.). This was particularly noticed in North Karnataka, with 42.7 p.c. women in Kalaburagi still believing that politics was not their forte.
On the positive front, the study noted that almost all GP members (97 p.c.) have experienced enhanced social recognition after becoming elected representatives.
