Role of Panchayati Raj System Towards Women Empowerment in Sikkim

This book is first of its kind related to elaborate on role played by the Panchayati Raj Institutions of Sikkim towards empowerment of women. It attempts to briefly outline on status of the Local-Self- Governance in Sikkim covering Pre-merger and Post-merger scenarios. It chronologically brings out significant developments that occurred in the Panchayati Raj System of Sikkim during 1975 to 1993 and major development after 1993 upon implementation of provisions of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. It recapitulates the powers and functions transferred to the Panchayati Raj Institutions of state along with devolution of the funds under the provision of the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993. It presents concise accounts of all the general elections of Panchayats held from the period of State’s First Panchayat Election, 1975 to Panchayats Election, 2012 with special reference to number of Elected Women Representatives in the Ward and Zilla Panchayats under different categories in relation to total and male counterparts. Under provisions of the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993; the reservation matrix for different categories and women in respect of general elections held for the Ward and Zilla Panchayats till 2012 and actual representation there are presented. Further, this book also reviews on the contribution of the different political parties of the state towards representation of women in the general elections held for two tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Dr. Neeru Sewa (b.1976) BA, B.Ed, MA (Sociology) and PhD (Sociology) is regarded as one of the most prominent Educationist and Social Worker in the Sikkimese society. Her life history from a School Teacher (1997-2007) to the Member of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly (2009-2014) has become a source of motivation for the new generation. From the Sikkimese Scheduled Castes communities, she was the first woman elected as the Zilla Up-Adakshya, PRI, Sikkim in the year 2007 and also the first woman to become the Minister in the Government of Sikkim in the year 2009. She is the first woman to achieve the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) from the Damai community and also from the legislators who served the state of Sikkim. Together with her political and social involvements, she had attended many professional and academic training, seminars, workshops and conferences. She had been a prominent Resource Person for discussion and delivery of lectures at training programs, seminars, workshops and conferences of the State and National levels. On several issues related to women and their empowerment, she had penned books, contributed chapters in book and research papers published in the reputed national and international journals. She is a member of several academic and professional bodies.