Participatory development in Uttarakhand: A study of elected women Panchayat representatives and self-help groups in Pithoragarh
- Bihar Journal of Public Administration
- 17(2), Jul-Dec, 2020: p.614-623
Participatory development, empowerment and inclusion have become muchresearched themes in the area of gender studies. Development mainstream takes some of the practices of participatory development making the feminist concern about representation, empowerment and affirmative action more crucial. As such, the present paper extensively focus on the role of the EWRs (Elected Women Representatives) in participatory development and through participation in SHGs of Uttarakhand which facilitated its members with more roles in household decision making, the betterment of health facilities, increased self-confidence & self-esteem, capacity building and financial literacy. The analysis bases on the quantitative results and the qualitative findings obtained through observation and case studies in the selected regions of Uttarakhand. The examination divulges that level of participation in SHG is positively and significantly associated with the community mobilization and political participation of members. Prima facie, our attempt finds that EWRs are having hurdles in exerting roles in participatory development whereas SHGs have shown some promise. – Reproduced
Participatory development, Participation, Women representatives, SHGs, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.