Examining the role of Women's Participation in Gaon Panchayats: An analysis of the Dibrugarh District

As half of the world's population is female, any development activity can succeed if women are actively involved. The Raj Panchayat has a special responsibility to ensure public participation in the decision-making process. The Panchayati Raj institutions shall always be taken into consideration as a means of good governance. People directly involved in processes of governance, decision making, and policy formulation and implementation are very important if sustainable economic and rural development is to take place across countries. This report will examine the role of women at the grassroots level and their participation in the Gaon Panchayat. Rural development, as defined by the 1992 Constitutional Amendment (73rd Act), has been a key objective of rural development, and this provision led to democracy practice at the grassroots level with active citizens' involvement. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act provides a good opportunity for females, with 33% of local government seats allocated to women; this number is currently up to 50%. Additionally, the Assam Government has allocated 50% of local government seats to women, which is bringing new hope for India's democracy.