Women in Self Help Groups and Panchayati Raj Institutions: Suggesting Synergistic Linkages

Abstract

There have been in the past decade, two interventions in India that have contributed towards generating processes of empowerment for women. One is the 73rd and 74th amendments that make it mandatory for a one third reservation of seats in local self governing bodies, and the other the formation of self help groups of women around micro finance. This paper raises questions about the processes of empowerment generated under each of these interventions and also suggests synergistic linkages between the two.