National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Institute of Constitutional and Parliament Studies have formed an unprecedented coalition with the pioneering initiative “Panchayat Se Parliament.” Held on January 5, This groundbreaking program brought together approximately 500 elected women Sarpanch, including leaders from urban local bodies, from across India for a transformative one-day training session held at the prestigious central hall of Parliament.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the event. He said, “women are taking a leap in making the country ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)’.Under (NCW Chairperson) Rekha Sharma, NCW has been able to reach the women in the most remote areas of the country of democracy be strengthened, asserted Birla.
Objectives of the programme : NSW on Women empowerment
The ‘Panchayat Se Parliament Tak’ initiative represents a transformative step towards fostering empowered women leaders, ensuring their active participation and leadership in the political landscape, from grassroots governance to national-level policymaking, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said. It’s pivotal for women to embrace the dual role of not just being voters, but also stepping forward as candidates themselves,” she said.
Training
‘Panchayat Se Parliament’ is a two-year collaborative initiative between NCW and various stakeholders. The training programme included sessions on the legal framework of Panchayati Raj, gender-sensitive governance and the role of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping in rural planning.
The session on GIS mapping lighted up its importance as a crucial tool in offering essential services to rural areas like land records management and other enabling activities like land acquisition, crop rotation, taxation and revenue collection.
The program also received a commendation from Minister of Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil, who hailed it as a significant initiative empowering women in rural areas to consider a career in politics as their primary pursuit.
Om Birla On participation of Parchayeti women in devopment
Speaker Birla emphasized the significance of empowering women in politics. “Indian democracy is a testament to the vibrant tapestry of diverse voices, where the power of unity amidst diversity shapes the symphony of progress and inclusivity.”
Birla added that India is moving from women’s participation in development and women’s empowerment to women-led development and women’s leadership.
Referring to the recent Nari Shakti Vandan Act, he said the act was passed by the Parliament and mandates reserving one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures for women, which will prove to be a game-changer in bringing women to leadership roles in the decision-making process.
Mentioning India’s glorious economic journey, Birla said that today India is setting the agenda for the world. Indian women and youth are playing an important role in the economic development of other countries.
The speaker of Loksabha emphasized making panchayats agents of change at the village level and observed that panchayats are emerging as the lifeblood of rural development.
Therefore, it is necessary to have a strong panchayat to build a self-reliant village. The stronger the panchayat system is, the more powerful each person under it will be, and only then will the foundation of democracy be strengthened, asserted Birla.
As public representatives, women sarpanchs’ role is to strengthen democracy and give shape to the hopes and aspirations of rural people.
“Panchayats should set their priorities, formulate their own plans, and implement them with the participation of villagers and their elected representatives or leaders,” Om Birla stated.
