By: Adiiti Aggarwal

In the early 1990s, India rewrote its political story with constitutional amendments that opened doors for women in grassroots governance. Today, more than 1.45 million women serve as elected representatives across villages, towns, and cities a historic achievement in one of the world’s largest democracies. Yet, beneath these impressive numbers lie persistent barriers: many women still struggle with proxy leadership, limited training opportunities, patriarchal norms, and a growing digital divide that threatens to exclude them from the future of governance.

The path to this milestone has been decades in the making. Women have played a central role in shaping India’s political landscape since the freedom movement, when figures such as Sarojini Naidu and Aruna Asaf Ali spearheaded debates on justice and equality. Still, for much of independent India’s early years, their presence in formal politics remained minimal. The 1980s brought renewed focus on decentralisation, with the Ashok Mehta Committee (1977) and L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) advocating stronger local governance and inclusive representation. This momentum culminated in the landmark 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992–93, which mandated that one-third of seats in rural and urban local bodies be reserved for women, a move later expanded to 50% in several states.

Three decades later, women are no longer mere voters; they are village leaders, budget planners, and mediators of local disputes. But reservations alone do not guarantee real power. Many elected women representatives face structural and cultural challenges that limit their influence. Few receive structured induction training to navigate budgets and policies, social norms often discourage them from speaking up in council meetings, and some continue to be overshadowed by male relatives who act as proxy decision-makers. The absence of basic support, such as stipends, childcare, or travel allowances, further discourages active participation. In an increasingly digital era, the lack of access to technology compounds these struggles, leaving many women excluded from e-governance tools. A recent CSDS survey underscores this reality: 77% of elected women representatives reported feeling unable to bring meaningful change due to systemic barriers.

While barriers persist, powerful local stories show how women are redefining leadership at the grassroots. In Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, Saroj Rana emerged as a tireless local reformer: she campaigned against alcohol abuse, enforced sanitation regulations and made school attendance a priority. Her interventions helped reduce domestic violence and improved learning conditions, demonstrating how a determined sarpanch can shift social norms and service delivery in a remote hill block.

In Maharashtra, all-women panchayats such as those in Hiware Bazar have turned gender parity into practical governance gains. By prioritising water conservation, sanitation and school enrolment, these councils revived local watersheds, strengthened household water security and rebuilt community trust in women’s decision-making. Their experience shows that when women lead on local resource management, environmental resilience and social welfare can advance together.

Further north in Himachal Pradesh’s Karsog region, women’s collectives organised vigorous anti-liquor campaigns, pressuring authorities to close shops near schools and temples. These drives did more than reduce alcohol availability; they lowered incidents of alcohol-related violence and improved public health indicators, making a visible case for preventive, community-led regulation.

Across southern and western India, women’s collectives and SHG networks from Kudumbashree in Kerala to SEWA in Gujarat, and numerous federations in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been critical incubators of political capacity. These groups train women in budgeting, program implementation and civic engagement, and they act as launchpads for elected leadership. Importantly, they have opened pathways for Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim women who might otherwise remain excluded from formal political life, building confidence and practical skills that translate into stronger local governance.

Finally, initiatives that build the next generation of leaders are reshaping expectations of who can lead. Haryana’s Lado Panchayat, which runs mock panchayats for teenage girls, has expanded to ten districts; by simulating decision-making and public debate, it equips girls with negotiation, public-speaking and civic-planning skills, creating a visible pipeline of future leaders.

Governments have introduced a range of initiatives to strengthen women’s roles in governance. The Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, for instance, trains local representatives in finance, digital governance, and village planning, though its modules often fail to account for varying literacy levels and regional needs. In several states, Mission Shakti and Nari Adalats women-led grievance forums have become trusted spaces for resolving domestic abuse and land disputes. Kerala’s Mahila Sabhas have successfully pushed for greater funding for sanitation and housing, while Madhya Pradesh’s Gram Panchayat Helpdesks, launched in 2025, aim to support elected women representatives with paperwork and district-level coordination. Yet, despite these promising initiatives, challenges persist: training remains generic, adoption is uneven across states, and language barriers continue to exclude women from tribal communities.

Figure 3: Women’s empowerment workshop. Photo by Vinod Prakash , IDRF. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.                                                   

Curbing proxy leadership is a crucial first step toward genuine empowerment. In many villages, women elected to positions of authority still find decisions made on their behalf by male relatives, undermining both representation and trust in the system. States such as Odisha and Rajasthan have already taken bold measures to disqualify proxy representatives, proving that legal reform is possible. Scaling such measures nationally, alongside anonymous complaint mechanisms and regular audits, would send a clear message that token leadership has no place in local governance.

But laws alone will not create transformative leaders. Building leadership pipelines is equally vital to ensure that women who enter politics can thrive. Extending eligibility for elected women representatives (EWRs) to serve two terms in the same seat would allow them to consolidate experience and drive long-term change. Structured mentorship programs linking seasoned women leaders with newcomers could offer practical guidance, while village-level fellowships for young and emerging leaders would create a steady flow of grassroots talent. These initiatives would help make women’s political participation a career pathway rather than a one-time experiment.

The future of women’s leadership also depends heavily on digital and civic literacy. As governance becomes increasingly tech-driven, many elected representatives, particularly those from rural or marginalized backgrounds, risk being excluded from decision-making simply because they lack access to smartphones or the internet. Providing affordable devices, regional-language apps, and women-only digital learning centres could help close this gap. Training programs should cover not only basic technical skills but also budgeting, legal literacy, and navigation of online governance platforms, ensuring that every woman in office can participate meaningfully in shaping policy.

Figure 4: The need for digital literacy and technology-driven initiatives to empower women. Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash.

To measure real progress, institutional reforms like gender audits are essential. Regular audits of fund allocation, meeting participation, and decision-making processes would reveal how much influence women truly have. Introducing a Gender Dashboard on platforms such as e-GramSwaraj could create transparency, allowing citizens, activists, and policymakers to track gaps and hold systems accountable.

Equally important is ensuring that women in governance reflect the full diversity of Indian society. Expanding horizontal reservations to include women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minority communities, and those with disabilities is crucial. Representation must go beyond numbers to encompass voices from every corner of the social spectrum. Collecting disaggregated data on caste, religion, and disability will help identify where interventions are most needed.

Addressing intersectional barriers requires tailored strategies. For SC and ST women, legal literacy and safeguards against caste discrimination are essential to prevent systemic exclusion. Muslim women often face cultural resistance, which can be countered through community-level awareness campaigns and engagement with religious leaders. Women with disabilities need accessible public spaces, from wheelchair-friendly Panchayat Bhawans to sign language interpreters at Gram Sabhas. Without attention to these barriers, political inclusion will remain incomplete.

Three decades after the historic 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, India has witnessed an extraordinary transformation in grassroots politics. Millions of women now occupy elected positions, and their leadership has already shaped health, education, sanitation, and welfare outcomes in countless villages. Yet, numbers alone do not equate to power. Real empowerment requires dismantling the culture of proxy representation, equipping women with sustained mentorship and resources, and ensuring that the most marginalized voices are heard in decision-making spaces.

As India approaches its centenary of independence, the challenge is not just to place women in positions of authority but to enable them to lead with confidence, vision, and autonomy. When every woman, regardless of caste, class, religion, or disability, has the tools to participate meaningfully in governance, India’s democracy will be richer, more inclusive, and more just. The task ahead is to consolidate gains, close persistent gaps, and build a future where representation translates into genuine leadership and leadership translates into lasting change.

References

77% women in panchayati raj institutions believe they can’t change things easily on ground  https://theprint.in/opinion/77-women-in-panchayati-raj-institutions-believe-they-cant-change-things-easily-on-ground/644680/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Women Panchayat Members in India: Challenges  https://www.nextias.com/ca/current-affairs/03-03-2025/women-panchayat-members-in-india-challenges?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Lado Panchayat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lado_Panchayat?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Tri-event highlights sustainable development through gender equality & local expertise https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/tri-event-higlights-sustainable-devpt-through-gender-equality-local-expertise/articleshow/123068265.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Women Representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions – Significance and Challenges  https://forumias.com/blog/women-representatives-in-panchayati-raj-institutions-significance-and-challenges-explained-pointwise 

Women in Panchayati Raj Institutions: Successful for Some, a Barrier for Many https://www.outlookindia.com/national/women-in-panchayati-raj-institutions-successful-for-some-barrier-for-many-news-319213

Role of Women in Local Governance https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=22403

Reservation of Seats for Women in Panchayats https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=70435

Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org

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