Political Participation of Women in Tea Garden Village A Study of Elected Women Representatives in two GPs of Kalchini Block

Abstract

The effective political participation is one of the real tools of women empowerment and selfhood.  An attempt has been made in this paper to understand the level of political participation of the elected women representatives of the tea garden villages* in the two Gram Panchayats of Kalchini block of Alipurduar district. It deals with different aspects governing their political participation focusing especially on the significant issues of socio-economic condition and the political cultural life of the people. This paper has also attempted to measure and evaluate their political participation and tried to find out the difficulties faced by them. The introduction of three tier Panchayat Raj System in compliance with the land mark 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 has resulted in an increasing trend in their participation in the local self-government, and a noticeable growth of self-confidence and a sense of independence amongst women, but in true sense there has not been appreciable growth in terms of effective political participation of women in this part of the country. Male domination, gender discrimination, lack of knowledge, awareness & experience, inferiority complex and lack of self-confidence are the prevailing conditions plaguing the women in the survey area. This paper suggests that a concerted effort must be made by all the stake holders to raise the socio-economic condition and level of awareness &self-confidence of the tea garden women.

*A village constituting of people either workers or non-workers; or their descendants; or their extended families living on their ancestral land or residential homes; within or outside the tea plantation areas since the British Era with or without ownership right.