Gender and Governance: A Critical Review of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Background:

Gender and governance are inseparable. Gender Issues in governance play a significant role in development. Develoopment that ensures participation by men and women with equal access to control of resources to bring an integrated sustainable growth and prosperity in the society. Good governance and gender equity is recognized worldwide .This truth is not realized in practice .The implementation of this truth has different results in different places. The present paper intends to highlight some essential issues in development administration that receive less attention and adequate measures for improvement.

Gender Issues in Governance: The term “governance” includes the State, nation and the civil society as active players in society’s development. This can be achieved by all sectors’ active participation, decentralization, accountability, governmental responsiveness ensuring, social economic and human development. Gender discrimination along with religion, caste, class and regional disparities, affects the quality of governance, destabilization, promotes violence and insecurity in general.

Why Gender? The word gender refers to differences between men and women that are learned. It is not fixed but determined by social and cultural values. This means that gender differences between men and women vary across countries and regions and can be changed by education, Policy interventions. The question needs to be looked at from the perspectives of equal opportunity for men and women. Countering negative impact of gender based occupation segregation and enabling access to fruits of development. Therefore, the notion of `gender’ and its associated roles and expectations are not determined biologically but depend on socialization and upbringing process. This means that gender differences between men and women vary across countries and religions and can be changed by education, training and policy interventions. This refers to factors – need to be looked at from the perspectives of equal opportunity for men and women, countering negative impact of gender based occupational segregation and enabling access to fruits of development.

State of Panchayati Raj Institutions:

Panchayati Raj Institutions are the basic units of governance. The constitutional amendment brought through 73rd and 74th Acts meant for community development at the grass roots level with one third reservation for women. This was further emphasized in the Seven Round Tables of Ministers of Panchayati Raj during 2004. These Round Tables evaluated the State of Panchayati Raj with reference to: 1. Effective Devolution of Functions 2. Effective Devolution of Functionaries, and 3. Effective Devolution of Finances. 1. Effective Devolution of Functions: The Article 243-G of the constitution provides for `devolution’ of functions of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). This entails PRIs the empowerment to function as institutions of self-government. This means making plans for economic and social development, doing justice and implementing of programmes in their respective areas. 2. Effective Devolution of Functionaries: This envisaged the devolution of functionaries like State government officials at the district levels (DRDA) and Panchayats should work jointly as facilitators to implement activities. All technical expertise and administrative support and facilities are included in the devolution. 3. Devolution of Finances: The Article 243 – I refers to strengthen the finances of the elected local bodies as constitutional obligation of the States and the Centre. The State government should prepare budget provision for PRIs three tiers activities based on activities mapping and planning for execution of effective implementation. In order to implement devolution of functions, functionaries and finances it was proposed by the Eleventh Finance Commission that core functions like civic amenities, primary health care, drinking water or sanitation should be assigned to local government and this should be spelt out in the legislature. Despite all these efforts it is known that the State of Panchayats is not uniform no `devolution’ of power is achieved in real sense. The relationship with the block development and panchayat is not defined. PRIs have not achieved in depended status and still function as a subordinate agency of the State government without any defined role and responsibility. There are differences in devolution of functions and powers of State Panchayats no doubt but there have been some significant changes found in some states. It is imperative to emphasize some good practices of local selfgovernance that prevailed despite many difficulties.

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Zilla Panchayat, Raichur of Karnataka receives funds from the State and the central government for development and implementation of different schemes of the planned budget. State planned funds are released to Zilla Panchayat on monthly basis Funds from central government sponsored schemes are released on quarterly or half yearly basis. Karnataka is one of the successful States in information technology. Zilla panchayat is connected to website documenting departmental details, development schemes. The package is used for entering the daily vouchers and payments of Zilla Panchyat and Taluka Panchayat..

Andhra Pradesh: The story of Sarpanch of Kalva village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, Fatima Bi, Sarpanch is a significant to mention. She was an illiterate woman but has done good enough to bag the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Race Against Poverty Award for the Asia-pacific Region. In the very first session of training of Panchayat women, Fatima Bi asked for the village records. She called a meeting of the village women and asked them to join hands with her in developing the village. That was the beginning of an inspired leadership and people’s empowerment. A metal road was laid, check dams were built, a new school building was raise and the old school building was done. She led the women folk to join the `Podupu Lakshmi’ groups and urged them to save a small amount of money every month. Within a year 40 Thrift and Self Help Groups with 300 women members saved Rs. 2 lakh. The UNDP was impressed by this achievement and granted Rs. 12 lakh as an interest-free loan to the Village Development Organization-an umbrella a of organization of Kalva. Once a poor and backward, Kalva is now a completely transformed village with happy faces all around and modern amenities in most houses. Child marriages are a thing of past.

Gujarat: Shir Hardev Singh Jadeja, Sarpanch has transformed the village `Rajasamadhiala’ into a model village, totally crime-free and characterized by self-reliance, intercaste amity and active community participation. He ahs succeeded in convincing the village people that demanding or begging form the Government is not the solution to their problems but by joining hands is. No body in the village ever locks his house; the shopkeeper does not lock the shop for his afternoon siesta. People can buy/help themselves unattended by the shopkeeper and leaver the money in a matchbox, which is also unattended/unguarded.

Haryana: All India women’s Panchayat in Mewat constituency in Haryana is an example of women’s able leadership and decision making ability. The elected members fought against gender role bias and abuse from the villagers by deciding to resign together which was then received attention of the Central government and conflict was resoled. 3

Efforts of Shri Rajinder Kumar, Sarpanch, Village Chamaund, Hissar district is viewed from the fact that there are 1,200 people in the village but none has ever approached the police or any court of law for redressal. Even the most contentious issues are resolved by the Panchayat by consensus. Casteism has been relegated to the background and universal brotherhood prevails in the village. Grants received by the Panchayat have been spent on construction of village school, dispensary, drains and other similar development works. Almost every child including girl children of the village goes to school, which has resulted in higher literacy rate in the village. Watershed development has also been taken up in a big way.

West Bengal: Smt. Kamala Mahato, Pradhan, Bandoan Village of Purulia District, is one of 186 women Panchayat Pradhans in the State. She wanted women of the village to have income of their own. To achieve this, she has vigorously implemented Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and the women now are profitably engaged in poultry, dairy, livestock and frying muri. They are able to help themselves and even attend to cleaning of wells and repair and repair of tubewells. The Panchayat led by her has also been successful in settling cases of domestic violence without the help of the police. Despite some success stories highlighted above the entire picture of the nation on gender issues and governance is of prime concern. In the core areas of human development, such as health, education and basic resources the governance has not achieved the expected results. India has an extensive health system in place. But there is serious deficiency in the public health system and in the delivery of reproductive health services that cause high degree of maternal mortality and morbidity1.

Inter-State Differences in MMR Kerala

Bihar

MP

Rajasthan UP

Orissa

87

451

498

607

739

707

Source: UNICEF, The Progress of Indian States, 1995, India Country Office, New Delhi. Rajasthan has some of the lowest human development indicators in India. It is also one of the lowest per capita incomes. In Rajasthan the total fertility rate for

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women between ages- 15-49 years was 378 according to NHFS II, TFR of 285. An estimate for MMR in the State is 670. Maharashtra is a high-income State like Gujarat having good human development indicators. These are geographical disparities and some areas are severely deprived, specially among tribal communities. It has relatively higher vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

Strategies of Implementation:

Decentralized

Planning

and

Programme

The PRIs are important means of furthering decentralized planning and programme implementation. These institutions should form a committee with elected representatives to promote gender sensitive multi-sectoral agenda for population stabilization that will “think plan and act locally and support nationally”. These committees may identify areas of specific needs for reproductive health services and prepare need-based demand driven socio-demographic plans at the village level. Since the management, funding and implementation of health, education and sanitation programmes have been decentralized to panchayats an integrated and coordinated service delivery should be provided at village levels.

Empowering Women for Improved Health and Nutrition: The complex socio-cultural determinants of women’s health and nutrition have cumulative effects over a lifetime. Discriminatory childcare leads to malnutrition and impaired physical development of the girl child. The positive effects of good health and nutrition on the labour productivity of the poor is well documented. Women are over-represented among the poor. Interventions for improving women’s health and nutrition are critical for poverty reduction. Maternal mortality is not merely a health disadvantage; it’s a social injustice. Low social and economic status of girls and women limits their access to education, good nutrition and health care.

Conclusion: Based on the above discussion of gender issues in governance it needs involving men and women through active participation in planning, programme implementation and decision-making at every levels of governance. The village communities and elected representatives should work jointly for promoting community well being. Gender sensitization, training and advocacy may be organized regularly at the local governance minimizing gender and cultural difference towards good governance.

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Prof. Lipi Mukhopadhyay Indian Institute of Public Administration I.P. Estate, Ring Road, New Delhi- 110002. E-mail: [email protected]

Reference: A compendium of Resolutions of the Seven Round Tables of Ministers In-charge of Panchayati Raj (July-December, 2004) Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India. Baden, S., 2000, `Gender Governance and Feminization of Poverty’ in Women’s Political Participation and Good Governance: 21st Century Challenges, UNDP, New Delhi. India Population and Reproductive Health Area, The Mac Arthur Foundation, March, 2008. Jayal, N.G., 2003, `Locating Gender in the Governance Discourse’ in Essays on Gender and Governance, Human Development Research Centre (UNDP), New Delhi. Lowe Morna, C., 2002, Gender and Governance: A Proposed World Bank Action Plan, World Bank, USA. Mukhopadhyay Lipi .Annual Report on the State of Panchayats, prepared for the Fifth Round Table Conference held in Srinagar, 28-29, October, 2004. Narayanan, R., 2002, “Grassroots, Gender and Governance: Panchayati Raj Experience from Mahila Samakhya Karnataka” in The Violence of Development: The Politics of Identity, Gender and Social Inequalities in India, edited by Karin Kapadia, Kali for Women, New Delhi. Netherlands-Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2000, Gender and Good Governance (Draft), The Hague. Nussbaum, M., 2003, `Gender and Governance: An Introduction’, in Essays on Gender and Governance, Human Development Research Centre (UNDP), New Delhi. Radha, S., & Roy Chowdhury, B.R., 2002, “Women in Local Bodies”, Discussion Paper Series, Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, CDS, Thiruvananthapuram.

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Registrar General of India. Tambiah, Y., 2003, `The Impact of Gender Inequality on Governance’ in Essays on Gender and Governance, Human Development Research Centre (UNDP), New Delhi. UNFPA, The State of the World Population, 1999.

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