The male proxy problem
A panel constituted by the Ministry of Panchayat Raj to look into the cases of women panchayat pradhans being represented by male members has submitted its recommendations. Though there are 46.6 per cent women representatives across panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) in the country, the committee found that in several cases, male relatives play a dominant role in decision-making. Given that reservation at the lowest rung was envisioned to root out male dominance across three tiers of administration, the panel’s intervention is welcome, especially its reliance on persuasion. These include mandating gender-exclusive quotas in panchayat and ward-level committees, rewarding “anti-pradhan pati champions”, appointing women ombudsmen, public swearing-in of women pradhans in gram sabhas, creating a federation of women panchayat leaders, and setting up leadership hubs and support networks. However, its recommendation of “exemplary punishment” for male proxies is problematic.
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act paved the way for one-third representation of women across PRIs. By 2024, 21 states and two union territories had opted for 50 per cent women’s reservation. But the presence of “pradhan-patis”, militates against the spirit of this Act. In 2023, a parliamentary standing committee on rural development and panchayati raj recommended capacity building and training of elected women representatives (EWRs). A year later, a Centre-sponsored study conducted by Kudumbashree, the Kerala government’s poverty eradication and women empowerment programme, and the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj underlined that the lack of training deterred the effective participation of EWRs in decision making. On July 6, 2023, while hearing a petition that challenged the misuse of women’s reservation in panchayats, the SC remarked, “What can judicial intervention do… you cannot preclude a section of women merely because they are willing to lend their shoulders to this scenario.” The Court left the matter to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The advisory committee was formed in response.
A top-down approach will defeat the purpose of local governance enshrined in the 73rd Amendment. That’s why the panel’s advocacy of awareness and training of women representatives is welcome. That’s also why the government should avoid resorting to “exemplary punishment”. Retributive action could push the practice under the carpet without ushering in systemic change. Women administrators are breaking glass ceilings, resisting patriarchal mores and bringing a different gaze to the table. This trend will intensify through a bottom-up approach, not punitive measures. Like women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies, the third tier of governance needs much more than symbolism.