IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review

Sunita Singh ¹, Vinod Kumari ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Sociology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Gender equality and empowerment of women is recognized globally as a key element to achieve progress in all spheres of life. Democratic decentralization is the best bet for good governance. The efficient functioning and desired goals of PRI are not possible without active participation of women representatives in different development activities and decision making process. It is the need of the hour to examine the knowledge of women representatives in PRIs despite the socio-economic constraints. The present study was undertaken to know the association of income and occupation with knowledge level of elected women in gram panchayat activities. The present study was undertaken in purposively selected Panchkula and Mewat districts of Haryana state having the highest and the lowest female literacy status, respectively. A sample of 160 respondents consisting of 80 respondents from each district was taken. Income and occupation are important indicators of economic and social position of an individual in the society. While categorizing the respondents according to their income, the contention of government to estimate the income for BPL was taken into account and it was operationalized as low (upto Rs. 27000), medium (27001-150000) and high income group (about Rs. 150000). Occupation was divided into four main categories viz; farming, agricultural and skilled labour, professional or businessman and any other work. The socioeconomic profile of respondents indicated that majority of them were from middle age, illiterate or primary school educated, married, belonging to backward class, joint family, farming, medium income group and low to medium mass media exposure. The result indicated a significant association between income levels of elected women members with their knowledge level. More number of respondents from high income group was having high knowledge of administrative and economic activities (62.00%), social activities (72.00%), political activities (80.00%) and public and civic amenities (62.00%). A significant association was also found between occupation and knowledge level of respondents about different Gram Panchayat activities as indicating that more than 80 percent respondents from professional and business class were having high knowledge level of different activities except agriculture, health and sanitation and judicial activities. Similarly respondents from other works like hawkers, small shops in village, domestic helpers were having high knowledge about different activities of Gram Panchayat.

Keywords

PRI, Income, Occupation, Women.

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Sunita Singh ¹, Vinod Kumari ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Sociology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, IN

Abstract

The 73rd Constitution Amendment has created space for women in political participation and decision-making at the grass ischolar_mains level by reserving one-third of the seats all over the country. The efficient functioning and desired goals of PRI are not possible without active participation of women representatives in different development activities and decision making process. It is the need of the hour to examine the knowledge of women representatives in PRIs despite the socio-economic constraints. The present study was undertaken to know the association of caste with knowledge level of women in gram panchayat activities. The present study was undertaken in purposively selected Panchkula and Mewat districts of Haryana state having the highest and the lowest female literacy status, respectively. A sample of 160 respondents consisting of 80 respondents from each district was taken. Caste status in the present context was measured with the help of relative scoring pattern. Scores were assigned to different caste groups as per legal prescriptions under the constitution. These include: General castes (1); Backward classes (2) and Scheduled castes (3). The socioeconomic profile of respondents indicated that majority of them were from middle age, illiterate or primary school educated, married, belonging to backward class, joint family, farming, medium income group and low to medium mass media exposure. A significant association of caste with knowledge level of women leaders was observed except a few like structural aspects and decision making. Women from general caste were having high knowledge about administrative and economic activities, agricultural, educational, public and civic amenities while knowledge level in case of women from backward class was high for social, political and health and sanitation activities. However women from schedule caste were having high knowledge of political activities.

Keywords

PRI, Caste, Women, Kanowledge.

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Sunita Singh ¹, Vinod Kumari ¹, Subhash Chander ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Sociology, College of Basic Sciences, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Gender equality and empowerment of women is recognized globally as a key element to achieve progress in all spheres of life. Democratic decentralization is best bet for good governance. The present investigation was undertaken to study the constraints and suggestions to promote women participation in Gram Panchayat activities. The study was conducted in two districts of Haryana state having highest and lowest female literacy status i.e. Panchkula and Mewat, respectively. Adopting random sampling techniques villages from each sample block were selected. Ultimate stage of sampling constituted the selection of respondents which in the present study were women sarpanches and Panches (Panchayat members). Since the number of such respondents in each of the sample villages was very small (4-6 depending on size of Panchayat), all the members from each village were taken into sample. Thus the ultimate sample taken was of 160 respondents consisting of 80 respondents from each district. Different descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS statistical package. Activities of Gram Panchyat refers to the activities undertaken by Gram Panchayats such as meetings held, management of budget, its utilization, and works related to agriculture sanitation, construction and maintenance, education, drinking water, farm forestry, administration, fisheries etc. Majority of respondents were having no knowledge about most of structural aspects of panchayat but were having full knowledge and involvement in social activities, educational, political, public work and civic amenities and health and sanitation. Literacy advanced area had clear and positive effect on knowledge level of elected women representatives about structural and functional activities. Younger age respondents were having high knowledge level about most of panchayat activities, structural aspects and decision making. Significant association of income and occupation with knowledge level of women members was observed.

Keywords

Socially Disadvantaged, Locus of Control, Parenting Styles, Academic Performance.

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