Patna: The Bihar government has announced that 29 out of 38 gram panchayats selected as ideal women-friendly villages are led by women public representatives. This move is part of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s vision to empower women and make them leaders of social change in the state.
Panchayati Raj Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta said that the development of villages is only possible when women are given leadership roles. The state government has been providing regular training to women representatives to help them handle financial work, use the e-Gram Swaraj portal, and manage administrative tasks confidently.
In March this year, on International Women’s Day, the “Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan” was launched in New Delhi to promote women-led gram panchayats. Bihar selected one gram panchayat from each district to be developed as an ideal women-friendly panchayat under this campaign.
Since 2005, the state has given 50 percent reservation to women in panchayats and urban bodies. Today, more than half of Bihar’s gram panchayats, panchayat committees, and district councils are led by women. Many women mukhiyas have also received national awards for their work, showing that women in Bihar are playing an important role in rural development.
