'What was India like?' I was asked on my return from nine monsoon-flooded weeks travelling and researching there.  The simple answer is, that there is no simple answer.  India is a country of contradictions, from the Mumbai (Bombay) skyscrapers in the West to fertile Orissa and Bengal in the East.  From the serenity of Kerala in the South to the war torn battered Jammu & Kashmir in the North.  India is a melting pot incorporating many religions, ethnicities and languages.  It encapsulates incredible wealth and grinding poverty, hope and despair.   This is India! 

India is described variously as third world, underdeveloped, or developing, and in many respects these labels have a semblance of truth. The government of India wants the country to catch up with the 'developed' Western world. But  it is not a one-way process; in fact I would argue that we in the West have a lot to learn from India.  This is particularly the case in terms of women's empowerment which is the subject of our research, 'Women, empowerment and Indian local governance'.

In 1992 the Indian government brought in an amendment to the Indian constitution (the 73rd), which established a system of reservation on the panchayats (local councils).  The amendment reserved not less than one third of all seats in the panchayats for women and the same for those from scheduled castes.  It also allowed for reservation for the seats of chair of these councils.  This was a groundbreaking step for a country steeped in a deep-rooted patriarchal political system.  It was a first: finally women who make up over 50% of the Indian population could have a significant voice and influence on the policy agenda.  Women's voices would be heard, by a country whose patriarchal ears had been closed to their needs since the foundation of India on 11August 1947.  It was a dramatic step forward in a country where dowry deaths and mutilations are common.  At the same time other changes were taking place, the Indian government created a new three-tier system of local governance, the 'Panchayati Raj', which would place power and finance at the village level, thus bypassing a traditionally corrupt bureaucracy and placing resources at the disposal of those who really understood the priorities of their own locality.  This was the theory but the practice was often very different.

In certain areas of the country there have been successes, for instance the Southern state of Kerala with its excellent literacy, peacefully integrated population and relative wealth has seen tremendous participation and a marked difference in the approach and responsiveness of its local governing bodies.  But Kerala has traditionally been on the left and open to new ideas.  In fact Kerala was the first place in the world to have a democratically elected communist government.  But the successes of states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu in implementing the new legislation and ensuring fair practice have been marred by failures in many other areas across India.  Bihar and Jharkhand in Northern India are troubled, lawless and anarchic states demonstrated by the fact that only 2 months ago, over 9 years after the 73rd amendment was introduced, the first elections were held using the new system of reservation.

The elections that were held were rife with corruption, wealthy local landowners literally and without opposition bought votes with just a few rupees. There were many cases of violence and intimidation, of polling-station brawls and the occasional political murder.  Nevertheless reservation is in place and women do now make up one third of the members of the panchayats.  This would appear a success for women but the reality is far less clear.  In many instances the previous male office-holders put their wives names on the forms and campaigned as usual and now the elected female councillors stay at home and their husbands go to the council meetings in their place.  On paper a success but in practice there is only more deception and corruption.  Even in situations where women have benefited from this amendment, become democratically elected councillors and taken their seats their problems are only just beginning.  Due to centuries of patriarchy, perpetuated by the British Raj and post-partition India, the illiteracy rate among women is far higher than men.  Women have traditionally stayed at home, taking care of their families and homes with the occasional remittance of heavy agricultural labour.  When these women make it to their local panchayat they are at a great disadvantage, their male colleagues know the system, understand the terminology and are literate.  Many newly elected female councillors feel lost and bemused by their sudden entrance to this male-dominated world. Despite the reservation system being a tremendous step forward, they have to fight their own lack of education and awareness, the corrupt bureaucracy, patriarchal attitudes of their men-folk and society, all of this to take their rightful place beside men at the levers of local power.

Despite the obstacles Indian women have huge strides in the last few years, in the majority of states at least on paper women now make up one third of local representatives.  Compare this to your local council or even Westminster and think how far we in the "developed" West have to go. Positive discrimination can provide a voice for the disenfranchised millions and the system of reservation provides an opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore.