Nevertheless, the system of reserving seats for women, intended for women across all rungs of society, has indeed fulfilled its purpose, bringing generations of women to the forefront, ready to claim their rightful space at various levels. The State’s youngest panchayat president, R. Sharukala, is a living testament of this emerging, confident generation of powerful women in local governance. While governments and NGOs once provided vigorous training and workshops for women leaders, these initiatives have since dwindled into a routine formality or ceased altogether. Speaking about the effort, Ms. Indhuja says, “As women panchayat leaders, understanding the gram sabha ourselves is the very first step. Changing tidesThe Tamil Nadu Women Panchayat Presidents Federation was established in the early 2000s, and played a pivotal role in reinforcing the constitutional mandate of local leaders.

Source: The Hindu March 08, 2026 14:51 UTC