EMPOWERMENT OF TRIBAL WOMEN: EXECUTION OF PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE AS PRI IN JHARKHAND (Pages 143-155) by Dr. Yugal Jha in THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGER / ISSN: 2348-9413 (Online); 2348-9405 (Print)

Women constitute about 50 percent of the country’s population. But they are the largest excluded category in almost all aspects. They have been denied their rights and liberties by the dominated Indian society for which their social, economic and political status has remained relatively low. For centuries they have been discriminated in all walks of life and treated as “second class citizens.” However, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1993 opened a new chapter in the history of democratic decentralization in India by developing power to the people and gives opportunists to women folk to express their voice in the decision making process. After this amendment it has been notices that due to reservation of seats, many positive changes have been seen. Many women were elected to local bodies. It has created a space for women’s needs within the structural framework of politics and legitimized women’s issue. They have been given the opportunity to share power with men. Reservations have also recognized the identity of women and their presence in the public life. But on the negative side they hardly voice their own option listening to proceeding of meeting have been their form of participation. Most of the function of the panchayat are being performed by their husbands, sons or local elites. Though the entry of women to panchayat offices was negatively viewed yet the women representatives have become assertive, courageous to interact, organize the villagers on certain community issues which indicate process in self-empowerment process. Women sarpachas and Naib sarpanchs have given up fear and shyness to speak on issues related to the village. They have gained in self-respect with increased interaction and awareness. They visit offices along with the male members and their relatives appraise the officials about their problems and interact with assortment of people like political party leaders, agricultural, revenue, banking and animal husbandry officials. Coming up of self-help groups has facilitated the leaders of the group, some of whom are representing the ward, to listen to the problems of the group members. They have made sincere effort in loan repayment and advancement. My effort has to made a case study of Santhal Pargana Division particularly and the state of Jharkhand as a whole. The selection of this state has been made for this purpose because Jharkhand is a classic case of paradox of economic development and social decay due to the cultural lag which continues to prevail even after almost more than one decades of its creation on November 2000 as the persist of Jharkhand movement for the development of the tribal people in the state of its image of Jharkhand Keywords: second class citizens, self-empowerment process, sarpachas and Naib sarpanchs, community issues, Jharkhand movement etc.