I have decided to speak on ‘Women’s Empowerment through Local Governance in South Asia’, a s

Decentralization is the key to the speedy, effective and participatory process of delivery of public services to the needy through development programmes of the Panch

The mandate of the Committee was massive, to assess the status of women in India in all aspects of their lives, keeping in mind the diversities (class, caste, religion, ethnicity, region, abilities, age groups etc.), complexities and paradoxes that prevail in our society.

Drawing on empirical data from four gram panchayats in Orissa, the paper examines the ‘representation’ of elected representatives—more particularly those of disadvantaged categories—by exploring their participation in the governance process, responsiveness towards the interest o