Patna: Women are increasingly shaping the governance of Bihar’s cities, holding key leadership positions across municipal bodies. After proving their political acumen in local panchayats, they are now firmly establishing themselves in urban administration.
Out of Bihar’s 19 municipal corporations, 16 are led by women mayors, while 11 have women deputy mayors. Notably, Patna Municipal Corporation has both its mayor and deputy mayor positions occupied by women, who are managing the capital’s city administration efficiently. Similar leadership structures exist in several other municipal corporations, including those in Ara, Begusarai, Bettiah, Bihar Sharif, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, and Sasaram.
The latest municipal elections saw women winning in large numbers. Of the 6,106 councillors elected across urban local bodies, 3,453 were women, surpassing the 2,653 male councillors. In municipal corporations, women secured 537 out of 922 ward councillor positions. They also hold a significant presence in other urban governance roles: of 10 main councillors, 17 are women, while women constitute 11 out of 19 deputy chief councillors.
The trend extends to Nagar Parishads (town councils) and Nagar Panchayats (smaller municipal councils), where women’s representation remains high. In Nagar Parishads, 1,455 out of 2,549 ward councillors are women, while women also hold 51 out of 88 chief councillor positions. In Nagar Panchayats, women outnumber men in ward councillor roles (1,160 out of 2,125), and they make up 89 out of 148 chief councillors.
Bihar’s remarkable shift towards women-led governance can be traced back to a policy decision made in 2006. A year after coming to power, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar introduced a 50% reservation for women in panchayats and municipal bodies, making Bihar the first state in India to take such a step. The policy has had a transformative impact, increasing women’s political participation at every level.
At the panchayat level, the proportion of women heading village councils has risen dramatically—from a mere 0.92% in 2001 to 52.23% in 2021. Similarly, the number of women leading Zila Parishads (district councils) surged from 10.72% in 2001 to 65.79% in 2021, with 350 out of 532 Zila Parishad chiefs now being women.
“Bihar’s model of women’s political empowerment has served as a precedent for other states, many of which have adopted similar reservations. The growing influence of women in local governance is also reflected in state and national politics, with political parties increasingly prioritizing women candidates in assembly and Lok Sabha elections,” read a statement issued by Bihar’s Information and Public Relations Department on Thursday.
