Women Leaders in Village Panchayats

I am a Ward member in my Panchayat and this is the second consecutive term

that I have been elected. This time I contested elections from a non-reserved

seat and defeated five candidates: three men and two women. I was harassed

for filing my nomination from a non-reserved category. The reason why I filed

my nomination from a non-reserved category was that I had learnt a lot about

being an elected representative in the last five years. I had also accomplished

a lot of work in the previous term. Seeing this the women and men from my

Ward encouraged me to file my nomination this time round as well.

I have studied until Class V. I live with my husband, two sons, and one

daughter. I belong to a general Caste and am the only one in my family,

immediate and extended, who is involved in politics.

I received enormous support from the ‘Panchayat Mandali’, women’s SHgs

and my family to contest the elections. People opposing my nomination openly

said that this seat is reserved for men. Unable to tolerate their harassment, my

husband sent me to my natal home and I only returned once I had won the

elections. Soon after, I participated in a training workshop organised by the

government in which I received basic information on development Schemes.

I also participated in five training workshops organised by The Hunger

Project-SUTRA from which I gained an in-depth knowledge of the workings

of PRIs. These workshops enhanced my understanding of women’s issues. I

learnt how Nyaya Panchayats work. Earlier, we used to relay decisions verbally,

now we have started doing so in written form. I have also started to record

people’s issues in the Up-Gram Sabha (a gram Sabha of Ward Members) and

raise the same in the gram Sabha. I have gained the support of the people in

the process.

After being elected as a Ward Member, I have struggled to get a single woman

her widow pension. I have been with this woman to the Revenue Inspector

four times. We deposited the necessary papers after getting them sanctioned

by the Panchayat and by the Revenue Inspector. However, the papers came

back after two months. We got the papers confirmed again and deposited

them. Finally, she started getting her pension from March 2008. Being a

geeta Devi
Ward Member
Panchayat: Rukhri
Block: Nahan
District: Sirmaur