Women in Maharashtra's local governance

When the 73rd and 74th Amendments reserved one-third of seats in local bodies for women in the early 1990s, many observers doubted that women — especially in rural areas — would be able to exercise real power. Three decades later, Maharashtra reserves half of all local body seats for women, and women have led panchayats, municipal councils and zilla parishads across the state. The story is one of genuine change — and of continuing obstacles.

Constitutional provisions

The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 (the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, to take effect after the next census and delimitation.

Maharashtra: 50 per cent

Maharashtra increased reservation for women in local bodies — panchayats and municipalities — to 50 per cent, one of several states to do so. This applies to both seats and the offices of sarpanch, panchayat samiti chairperson, zilla parishad president, mayor and council president, by rotation.

Mahila Gram Sabha

Maharashtra requires a Mahila Sabha — a meeting of women voters — to be held before the regular Gram Sabha. Its purpose is to:

• give women a space to raise issues such as water, health, alcohol, violence and schools;
• ensure that women's priorities reach the Gram Sabha and the village plan.

Many villages in Maharashtra have used Gram Sabhas to pass resolutions on issues like prohibition of alcohol in the village — often driven by women.

What has changed

• Visibility: women occupy positions of authority in every district.
• Priorities: studies across India have found that women leaders tend to prioritise drinking water, sanitation, health and education.
• Confidence and skills: repeated terms and training have built a cadre of experienced women leaders.
• Role models: for girls in rural areas.

Obstacles

Economic empowerment: the foundation

Political power is stronger when backed by economic independence. In Maharashtra:

• MAVIM (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, set up in 1975) — the state women's development corporation, which promotes self-help groups (SHGs) and women's enterprises.
• UMED (Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission, under the national DAY-NRLM) — organises rural women into SHGs, village organisations and federations, providing credit and livelihood support.
• Women's cooperatives — such as Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad.
• Land rights — schemes encouraging the inclusion of women's names in land records (for example, the Lakshmi Mukti initiative for adding wives' names to the 7/12 extract).

Many women leaders in panchayats began as SHG members — a pathway worth mentioning in Mains answers.

State policy for women

Maharashtra was the first state in India to adopt a State Policy for Women, in 1994. The policy has been revised several times since, most recently with a fourth policy, addressing issues such as:

• gender budgeting;
• safety and violence against women;
• health and nutrition;
• economic participation;
• political participation.

Schemes for women and girls

Maharashtra has several schemes for women and girls, including:

• schemes to improve the sex ratio and support girls' education (such as Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree and Lek Ladki);
• direct cash transfer schemes for women (such as the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, launched in 2024);
• One Stop Centres and helplines for women facing violence.

Scheme details (amounts, eligibility) change; check the current rules.

A Mains framework

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. What is the constitutional minimum reservation for women in panchayats?
2. What percentage of local body seats are reserved for women in Maharashtra?
3. What is a Mahila Sabha?
4. When was MAVIM established?
5. Which state was the first to adopt a State Policy for Women?

Mains-style:

• "Reservation has given women power in local bodies, but not always authority." Discuss with reference to Maharashtra.
• Examine the role of self-help groups in women's political empowerment.