Context: Madhya Pradesh government is coming out with an advisory following reports of men from the families of elected women representatives taking oath instead of them in Madhya Pradesh panchayats.

‘Sarpanch Pati’ or ‘Pradhan Pati’

• The term implies that where women are de jure elected, their husbands de facto run the local panchayats.

• During the campaigning for these panchayat elections too, the men had been projected as the future sarpanches with their faces featuring on the publicity material, many a time without the spouse who was actually contesting.

• This tendency of male relatives exercising power instead of duly elected female officials – constitutes the main hurdle to female-led government in rural India.

Reasons behind this phenomenon

• Patriarchal gender norms within households in traditional societies that restrict the emergence of effective female leadership.

• Lack of capacity building and training for women to take leadership roles in local government.

• Poor social status of a woman with less education and economic independence.

• Absence of strong deterrence laws to punish men who take control in place of elected women.

Outcome

• The 73rd Constitutional amendment act which provided for Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRI) also guarantees reservation for women in PRI.

• Article 243 of the constitution provides for not less than one-third of the total number of seats to be reserved for women, further not less than one-third of the total number of offices for chairperson at all levels of the panchayat to be reserved for women.

• This Sarpanch Pati culture thrives in the hinterland which defeats the purpose of the exercise that is adequate representation for women and their empowerment.

Key Suggestion

• Prime Minister Modi, taking cognizance of this issue, had called for an end to the practice.

• Proper training and orientation programmes to impart skills and  instill confidence in women for taking up the leadership roles goes a long way in women empowerment and local governance.

• There should be harsh penalties for both elected women and sarpanch pati’s and also debar them from any future contests.

Conclusion

• Even after 25 years of constitutional backing, women’s chance at political representation is usurped by their husbands. Illiteracy and lack of economic freedom further inhibit their capacity to perform. It is essential  to acknowledge the potential of women in ensuring inclusive democracy and the phenomenon of ‘sarpanch pati’ should be addressed with the backing of effective law.