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Women Power Rising

How Uttarakhand’s Grassroots Women Are Reshaping Local Democracy
INA DeskBy INA DeskJuly 27, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
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How Uttarakhand’s Grassroots Women Are Reshaping Local Democracy

As Uttarakhand moves through the 2025 Panchayat election cycle, a quiet revolution is taking root in the hill villages. Women, long sidelined from governance and reduced to symbolic roles through the practice of “Pradhan Pati” (husbands running the office of elected women), are now leading from the front—challenging patriarchal control, demanding accountability, and addressing systemic issues such as migration, unemployment, and broken infrastructure.

Elections Amid Unrest and Aspirations

The 2025 three-tier Panchayat elections—covering Gram Panchayat, Block, and Zila levels—are taking place across 12 districts (excluding Haridwar) in two phases on July 24 and 28, with vote counting scheduled for July 31. Over 66,418 posts are up for grabs, and more than 63,000 nominations were filed

Women have made an especially strong showing—over 37,000 women filed nominations. Yet in many parts of the state, real governance has remained in male hands due to proxy leadership and lack of structural support. Now, that pattern is being broken.


Contesting for Change: Candidacy and Commitments

The Manch has fielded 26 candidates for Gram Pradhan, 6 for Block Development Council, and 1 for Zila Panchayat, while supporting 40 non-member candidates.

Key Points from Their Manifesto

  • No inducements (money/alcohol/transport for votes)
  • Only permanent residents to contest
  • Every family involved in village planning via Gram Sabha
  • One tree for every girl child
  • Transparent Panchayat accounts
  • Full accountability of local officials
“We want to run villages like institutions—not as fiefdoms handed down to men,” says Sunita Devi, a 32-year-old Manch leader contesting from Jheepa village in Almora.

What Women Voters and Leaders Are Facing:

Despite increasing representation, women face structural and cultural hurdles:

ChallengeDescription
Pradhan Pati SyndromeHusbands run Panchayat in name of elected wives—undermining women’s agency
Social ResistanceWomen candidates often excluded from village meetings
Limited Support SystemsGrassroots women lack access to political mentoring, legal aid
Seasonal ConstraintsWomen gather formally only in post-harvest months like November

Still, participation is surging—groups like the Manch provide sisterhood, training, and legitimacy.

Why Women Are Stepping In

Women leaders say they are responding to real, lived crises that male politicians have historically ignored:

Local IssueVoter Sentiment
UnemploymentDriving male migration; no local job schemes functional
Road InaccessibilityVillagers in remote areas demand roads as basic rights; boycotts threatened
Clean Water ScarcitySprings drying; piped water rare in high-altitude villages
Out-MigrationOver 335,841 people migrated between 2018–22—a 67% increase in rate
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Migration Patterns: Hard Numbers

TimeframeTotal MigrantsAnnual Avg.% Change vs Previous
2008–2018~502,717~50,272—
2018–2022~335,841~83,960+67%

Migration devastates hill economies—empty schools, aging populations, fallow fields. Women leaders are pushing for livelihood generation, better healthcare, and functional education to stem the tide.


Real Barriers: When a Road Becomes a Dream

In Uttarkashi, villagers of Mukhba and Jangla have threatened to boycott polls. A 6-km road sanctioned 40 years ago still hasn’t been built. Polling teams must trek up to 10 km in some areas where monsoon destruction cuts off vehicle access.

Impact on Governance

CategoryCurrent State in Remote Villages
Health ServicesClinics without doctors; PHCs hard to access
Schools1-teacher schools or complete shutdowns due to lack
Markets & MobilityFarmers unable to reach mandis during monsoon

Why Women Power Matters Now

This election is about transforming representation into action.

Sunita Devi, who is running again after losing in 2019, says this time she isn’t alone. “Women candidates are showcasing their identity and ability. We’re not shadows anymore—we’re the ones planning the light.”

What makes this women’s movement different is:

  • Issue-based campaigning
  • Grassroots consensus building
  • Decentralised decision-making
  • No dependence on political parties

These women are not career politicians—they are midwives, farmers, health workers, and mothers fighting for functional democracy.


Conclusion: A Feminist Model for Rural Governance?

The rise of women-led governance initiatives in Uttarakhand, spearheaded by groups like the Rachnatmak Mahila Manch, represents a radical shift. Beyond symbolism, they are demanding results: transparency, inclusion, and dignity.

What’s at Stake

If successful, this could become a replicable model for women-led local governance in other Indian states plagued by similar challenges.

“Humari gram sabha, humara raj” (Our Gram Sabha, our rule) is not just a slogan—it is a grassroots feminist manifesto challenging decades of patriarchal neglect in India’s hills.

As Uttarakhand votes, the nation watches. The question is no longer whether women can lead, but whether India is finally ready to let them lead fully

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