International Journal of Management Research and Social Science (IJMRSS) ISSN 2394-6407(Print)

Volume 1, Issue 1, October - December 2014 ISSN 2394-6415(Online)

Evolution of Women‟s Participation in Indian Political Activities:

A glance of Tamil Nadu
G.Gokul Vigneswari#1, Dr. A. Thanappan*2
1
Research Scholar, Dept. of History, Presidency College, Chennai, India
[email protected]
2
Associate Professor, Dept. of History, Presidency College, Chennai, India

Abstract— The Constitution of India is based on the women, Swarna Kumari Debi who started the women‟s
principles of equality and it guarantee equality before law organisation Sakhi Samiti in 1886 for widows are few
and equal protection to all citizens. It not only guarantees examples. These activities gave momentum to women‟s
fundamental rights and freedoms, but also prohibits participation in public spaces, which paved the way for
discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, and their entry into the independence struggle. Swarna Kumari
place of birth. However, these rights have remained de jure Debi, one of the two delegates elected from Bengal to
and have not been translated into de facto rights. As such, represent the State at the 1890 Congress session is a case in
women have been denied social, economic, civil and point [2].
political rights in many spheres.
An important area where women have been 2. Women in Independent India
inadequately represented is in the political sphere. Articles
325 and 326 of the India Constitution guaranteed political Though the foundation for political participation of
equality, equal right to participation in political activities women was laid down during the nationalist movement,
and right to vote respectively. While the latter has been there was no follow up or concerted effort to broaden the
accessed, exercised and enjoyed by a large number of political base by incorporating women into political
women, the former i.e., right to equal political participation processes after independence. [3] The space for women in
is still a distant dream. Lack of space for participation in the political arena has declined since independence and
political bodies has not only resulted in their presence in their participation in politics has been limited to family
meagre numbers in these decision making bodies but also connections rather than convictions and commitment.
in the neglect of their issues and experiences in policy Women have been promoted to political positions only
making. when there were no other male members available to
continue the family‟s distinctive place.
Keywords— Self-Government, Women’s Reservation,
Mahalir Thittam
3. Women in Local Self-Government

1. Introduction In December 1992 Our Indian Parliament passed the

Seventy-Third Amendment to the Indian Constitution and
The roots of women‟s participation in politics can be the Amendment came into effect from 24 April 1993. The
traced back to the nineteenth century reform movement. purpose of this amendment was to revitalize local self-
This movement emerged as a result of conflict between the governing village councils. This Amendment has been
Indian bourgeoisies, trying to wrest control from the British. considered historic and one of the most significant attempts
This class made attempts to reform it, mainly by at transforming the Indian polity in the direction of greater
campaigning against caste, polytheism, idolatry, animism, democratization and decentralization of powers. [3].
purdha, child marriage, and sati etc., perceived as elements
of primitive identity. Raja Ram Mohan Roy focused on two 4. Women in Local Self-Governing Institutions
issues, namely women‟s education and abolition of sati. In
the early 1850s, a campaign on widow remarriage was The most significant feature has been bringing about a
launched resulting in the passage of a Bill in 1856, which certain uniformity regarding representation of the weaker
allowed widow remarriage. [1]. This Bill though helped the sections. While reservation of seats for scheduled castes
situation of widows, denied them the right to their and tribes has been written into the constitution from the
husbands‟ or his family‟s properties. Several eminent very outset, the reservation for women is new and the most
women reformers participated in this movement as well as important contribution of the amendment. According to
in the religious reform movement of this period. Pandit many analysts, it has brought a critical mass of women to
Ramabai, Manorama Majumdar, Sarala Debi Goshal who these institutions and holds forth tremendous potential. In
started Bharata Stree Mahamandal for the education of 1994 and 1995, the first round of elections to the

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International Journal of Management Research and Social Science (IJMRSS) ISSN 2394-6407(Print)
Volume 1, Issue 1, October - December 2014 ISSN 2394-6415(Online)

panchayats was held and nearly one million women entered villages in Karur and Tiruchirapalli districts. Many
the threshold of political institutions of local self- developments in various ways were noted. The most
government. The second round of elections to the local important findings relate to a doubling of average real
bodies was concluded in 2000 [4]. incomes, rapid growth of non-farm activities and a
What has been the experience of women‟s participation reduction of inequality in terms of operated area and
for the first time in these institutions, both in terms of income among the land operating agrarian households in
transforming these institutions and for the women our sample. Two most important driving forces have been
themselves? This will have to be assessed in terms of identified in this transformation as industrialization with its
India‟s traditional social structure, which is characterized side effects and State social policy interventions. [7].
by a socially legitimized hierarchy, based on the caste
system, an integral element of which has been gender 7. Mahalir Thittam
discrimination. The caste-based social order still holds its
sway in India‟s society and politics, in spite of the fact that Self –Help Group (SHG) is a homogeneous group of
the Indian constitution is a democratic constitution which poor, women, users etc. This group is a voluntary one,
upholds equality of all and forbids discrimination on the formed on areas of common interest so that they can think,
basis of caste, class, creed or gender. organize and operate for their own development. SHGs
function on the basis of co-operative principles and provide
5. Women’s Reservation Bill a forum for members to extent support to each other. SHGs
play a crucial role in improving the savings and credit and
The Eighty-Fourth Constitution Amendment Bill meant also in reducing poverty and social inequalities. They can
to provide one-third reservation of seats to women in state play pivotal role in:
and central legislative bodies and the current discussions 1. Preventing exploitation of the poorer sections by
and controversies around it mirror the contradictions of creating self-reliance.
Indian society and the contestations in access to power and 2. Building leadership qualities among group
resources between those who have been traditionally members.
excluded and the socially and politically dominant sections 3. Helping group members in documentation for
of Indian society. The Women‟s Reservation Bill once obtaining credit.
again throws up questions of certain kinds of identity, 4. Motivating members for prompt repayment of
specifically caste and religious identity, the intermeshing of credit.
gender identity with caste and religion and their articulation 5. Providing training to its members. [8]
in the public realm, in the field of politics. What is
significant is the sea change in the attitude to the question 8. Women’s Empowerment through Self Help
of women‟s reservation among leading women‟s Group
organizations and activists in key periods in the 1930s,
1970s and the 1990s. The core questions to our mind relate Whether in mixed caste groups or single caste groups, it
to the hierarchy of Indian society and the manner in which is quite clear that women get into a new experience by
this hierarchy operates in the field of politics and political regularly going out of their houses and participating in
representation. [5][6]. It also raises questions about the meetings with other women even during evening hours. In
nature of representation. achieving this, they have overcome some initial resistance
from their husbands and cooperate better in this regard.
6. Entry of Women into local government Through the SHG experience, women learn how to
bodies in Tamil Nadu conduct a meeting. They meet with local Government
officials and members of Panchayat boards. Some of them
The new constitutional provisions have led to a massive especially the group leaders learn how to make money
entry of women into local government bodies starting in transactions in a Bank. In the literature, this has been taken
the mid-1990s. It comes with provisions for by some writers to mean a building up of women‟s
decentralization of finance and decision-making in local empowerment in terms of independence and self-
government, which, however, has not taken off in most confidence and their thrift as entrepreneurs. Micro-credit
states, with Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura being the distributed to SHGS of women, often through
exceptions. It also prescribes reservations for the Scheduled intermediaries, has been implemented in many parts of
Castes (Dalits) and Scheduled Tribes. These changes have Tamil Nadu. In six villages, SHGS have a strong presence,
led to a renewed interest and competition in local elections. covering about half of all households. Many of the SHGS
Tamil Nadu belongs to that part of India that has seem to function well. They gather women outside their
experienced fairly stable economic growth and social own homes in meetings, where not only credit but also
development for the past 25 years. In the study of six community concerns such as drinking water, street lights,

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International Journal of Management Research and Social Science (IJMRSS) ISSN 2394-6407(Print)
Volume 1, Issue 1, October - December 2014 ISSN 2394-6415(Online)

crèches and schools are discussed. They SHGS also and has made it more transparent and accountable. If
provide a platform for women‟s active participation in local affirmative action has a positive influence on the
politics. But these aspects should not be exaggerated, as environment, it is all the more reason that the same would
their effects are fairly modest. [9]. happen at the higher levels of governance.

9. Conclusion References

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