Caste and patriarchy in the emerging women's leadership in panchayats : A study from Karnataka

Abstract

This paper discusses the bearing of the primordial institutions of caste and patriarchy on the emerging women's leadership in panchayats in Karnataka. The Karnataka state which had the reputation of introducing reservation for the women in panchayats for the first time in the country has also made similar provisions in the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act 1993 following the 73^rd Constitution Amendment Act. This has enabled larger participation of women and deprived sections of our society in the grass root level governance. However, the caste and patriarchy have larger implications in the emergence and performance of women leaders at the grass root level. The paper reveals that the women leaders who hail from the lower stratum of the society are more democratic and people-centred, whereas those from the upper castes are more conservative and family-centred. The lower caste women leaders outnumber their male counterparts in the panchayats which provides an explanation for the presence of more than onethird women elected members in panchayats. The paper is based on the field work carried out in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka during 2004.