Women Leaders in Village Panchayats

I was elected Ward Member and then the Vice-President of my Panchayat. I

contested the Panchayat elections from a non-reserved seat and won against

three men by eleven votes. I belong to the SC community and have studied

until Class xII.

I live with my husband and parents-in-law. My father-in-law is a government

employee, and my husband works as a daily wage labourer. We primarily earn

our livelihood through agriculture. My father-in-law first encouraged me to

contest the elections. Thereafter people in the village asked me to contest

because they saw me as educated and well spoken. I consulted the women of

the Panchayat Mandali and most of them supported my candidature.

I have undergone five training workshops organised by The Hunger Project-

SUTRA where I learned about the Panchayati Raj Act and about Nyaya

Panchayats. I am also a member of the State-level federation of women Ward

Members and I regularly participate in federation meetings along with the

other women Ward Members of my Panchayat.

My biggest accomplishment is that I have been able to mobilise women for all

kinds of work done in the Panchayat and my Panchayat Mandali has always

supported me in my endeavours.

The first thing I did as an elected representative was to put in a requisition

to organise health camps for women in the village. Everybody in the village

supported me and the President volunteered to put this request before the

health department. Five camps have been organised so far and fifty women

have undergone treatment in the camps.

I also raised the issue of sex selective abortions before the Panchayat. This

became an issue of priority in the gram Sabha. I have set up a ‘Save the girl

Child’ committee in my Ward, which comprises members of the Panchayat

Mandali, Aaganwadi and the Auxillary Nurse Midwife (ANM). This committee

reaches out to pregnant women and gives them information on timely check

ups; helps them register at the closest health centre; talks to them about the

Rita garg
Vice-President
Panchayat: goyla
Block: Kasauli
District: Solan