To promote leadership and empowerment of elected women in NE
PIB
(Necessary editing by IH News Desk)
AGARTALA, November 12, 2024: A two-day consultative seminar for women Sarpanches and members of PRIs in the North Eastern region began Tuesday in Agartala with the aim of promoting leadership and empowerment among women particularly those elected as representatives under the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The workshop was addressed virtually by Joint Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Ministry Mamata Verma from New Delhi. She highlighted the timely importance of discussions on stopping "proxy participation" on behalf of women, in light of a recent Supreme Court order.
Verma commended the Tripura government for organising such workshops and noted that in many states, women's participation is often done through proxy by male members of their families, a trend that needs to be stopped.
In response to a writ petition, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of an advisory committee to review the practice of male family members acting as proxies for elected female representatives, among other related issues, on July 6, 2024. In this context, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has begun organizing consultative workshops in various states and regions to empower women working at the grassroots level and put an end to this trend.
During the event, Secretary of the State Panchayat Department Dr Sandeep Rathod stated that approximately fifty percent of seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in Tripura are held by women. He also highlighted five panchayat bodies including Matabari Panchayat Samiti, Khilpara Gram Panchayat, Thakcherra Gram Panchayat, Karoimura Gram Panchayat and Halahali Gram Panchayat where all members and office staff are women serving as an example of female empowerment in the state.
Rathod informed Tripura government's focus on women-led governance, their participation and empowerment. He also mentioned a memorandum of understanding signed between the Tripura government and the National Law University to provide training to women representatives.
The training module will include personal development, awareness of legal provisions and soft skills.
Director of the Union Panchayat Raj Ministry Dr Ramit Maurya also addressed the gathering and stressed the need for specific legal protection and training programs for elected women members in compliance with the Supreme Court order. He added that these consultative workshops will play a crucial role in empowering women in various states of the North Eastern region.
The workshop was attended by Deputy Director General of Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration-Yashoda (YASHADA), Pune, Dr Mallinath Kalshetti as well as Chairpersons and Sabhadhipatis from Zilla Panachayats, Block and Gram Panchayats from several states in the region, including Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
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