NCW to groom 2 lakh women gram pradhans for bigger roles

Explaining the functionality and aim of this unique programme focused on the empowering women politicians at the grassroots level, Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said, “This is the first programme of its kind. I have always felt that the Panchayati Raj empowered women to the extent of making 2 lakh of them Pradhans of villages. And yet these women never went beyond that. One of the main reasons is that, after they become Pradhans, they don’t know what to do so they abrogate their responsibilities and power and hand it over to their husbands or male elders. As a result they never move up the political ladder. No Member of Legislative Assembly or Member of Parliament comes from this pool.”

 The idea is to promote the entry of women into the political process right from the Zila Parishad level and train them in handling issues of the village. The two lakh women politicians, who will be trained by the NCW, will be empowered to deal with and manage financial matters of the area as well. 

Regarding the training module, the Minister said, “The NCW has been asked to train these 2 lakh Pradhans in several things: how to administer, access money, look after the building of infrastructures in the area etc.”

Millennium Post on 6 November 2015 in the report titled - ‘After Mahila cops, Maneka pitches for training women politicos at grassroots level’, reported that the WCD Ministry after taking up the task of training of Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs) will focus on training women politicians at the grassroots level. 

Gandhi had said, “Through this endeavour we will see women’s active involvement in the political process right from rudimentary levels. My dream is to have these two lakh women as trained responsible Pradhans.” She added that the idea is to induct women in the political process right from the grassroots level than have them entering from the top.