Impact Of Panchayati Raj Institutions In Women Empowerment In Bihar

Empowerment is a multidimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is the capacity to implement) in people for use in their own lives, their own communities and in their own society, by acting on issues that they describe as important. Above all, empowerment is a result of participation in decision-making. Thenceforth, women‟s empowerment refers to the process by which women acquire due recognition on par with men, to participate in the development process of the society through the political institutions as a partner with human dignity. So, why is empowerment through Panchayati Raj? According to the Document on women‟s Development (1985) women‟s role in the political process has virtually remained unchanged since independence. Broad-based political participation of women has been severely limited due to various traditional factors such as caste, religion, feudal attitude and family status. As a result, women have been left on the periphery of political life. Observing this dark picture, 73 rd Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) came to provide them an opportunity to ventilate their grievances and to take active part in decision-making process in the local level. Empowerment literally means to 'enable'. The empowerment is social, political process and its critical operating element is power. It has potential to closely engage and confront the prevailing socio cultural context as it entails shift in political, social and economic power between and across both individuals and groups. The notion of empowerment involves social transformation and economic development. The women empowerment involves in it skill formation so as to enhance social and economic capacity within women. Whenever discussion on women empowerment arises it always pays attention on women's role as a decision maker, they being economically self-reliance and having protection against all discrimination. Panchayati Raj Institution provides closest democratic experience to people in Abstract: In the present study an attempt has been made to assess the impact of bottom up planning under PRIs and Women participation therein in the State of Bihar. The study also attempts to probe the process of empowerment of elected scheduled caste/ tribe representatives both men and women, in Bihar. Social profile of the respondents, role played by them in the running of Gram Panchayats has also been examined in the study. The study covers various aspects of PRIs such as “Salient features of constitutional amendment, powers, reservations and role of Functions of Panchayats in bottom up planning, Status of Gram Sabha Provisions, status of District Rural Development Agencies, Women and Panchayats and existing Legislations and laws for women, Institutional mechanism and constraints particularly Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe women in participation in decision making. Socio Political Empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribe women through Panchayati Raj, Social Exclusion of SCs Cultural and Political Assertion of SCs in PRIs, Economic Conditions, Role of traditional Panchayats, Role of Major Political Parties in mainstreaming SCs participation in Panchayats as also impacting the scheduled castes and the scheduled Tribes Act, 1989. Finally an effort has been made to suggest suitable steps required to be taken to deal with the most coming restraints notice in the functioning of PRIs.