Haryana Women Break 75-Year-Old Tradition By Entering Chaupal

Women entered the local chaupal in Jind district's Kaloda Khurd village, breaking a 75-year-old societal taboo. Sirsa Member of Parliament Sunita Duggal had entered the chaupal and noticed a group of women outside the chaupal.

Duggal saw the women observing from their windows and called them inside. However, they refused and revealed that they were not allowed to enter due to tradition.

Haryana Women Enter Chaupal

Sunita Duggal said that in order to break the tradition, the panchayat would have to be reserved for women. That was when she learned that the sarpanch and block committee members were female.

After Duggal asked the women to enter the chaupal again, some of the men allowed the women to enter the chaupal, breaking the 75-year-old tradition.

Suggested Reading: Panchayati Raj Panel To Empower Elected Women To Scrap 'Sarpanch Pati' Concept

Sarpanch-Pati As Resistance to Women's Empowerment

A fact worth pondering is women have availed the opportunity to be in the stead of Sarpanch and Block Committee, but on the ground level, the reality is far behind the statistics demonstrated by the government every year.

Even though the provision to contest on one-third of the total seats has been imparted to women at every level of Panchayati Raj bodies as per the 74th Amendment of the Constitution.

According to data from the Panchayati Raj ministry, approximately 46 percent (over 14.54 lakh) of the over 31.88 lakh elected representatives last year were women, according to the newly released government report, Women and Men in India 2022. But either their husbands managing that position or any senior male member of their extended family.

The policy was formulated to uplift women and promote their say in the village policies which can eventually bridge the gap between a man and a woman. But more often than not, men seize the power.

SheThePeople interviewed some rural women who wish to remain anonymous. These women currently serve the village in the name of Panch or Sarpanch explained that they've to indulge in household chores and later on, they are left with no slack time to look into official work.

Some of the women said they are not literate enough to manage the work and their husbands or brothers-in-law look over the work and attend the meetings as well. Women often don't object to their husbands ruling in their place because those who speak up are treated like outcasts. Women are constrained by their social obligation which is specified by society.

Government Need to Wake Up From Deep Slumbers

Even though reservation for women in PRIs has surged to 50 percent in twenty states including Haryana and Bihar but it doesn't ensure their participation. Government has to be accountable to execute the policies transparently at the ground level, only then the purpose of the laws formulated will be entertained by the people. The hegemony of males in Panchayati Raj Institutions has reigned for centuries and overthrowing the hegemony would require a lot of effort and attention.