Panchayati Rule and Gender Awareness Training Institute

Gender equity in Local Governance through Transformative Leadership and Citizenship

VISION - To build a gender just society.
MISSION - To enhance the status of women in social, economic and political sphere

Advocacy and Lobbying

Upholding the letter and spirit of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment lent Constitutional authority to the system of Local Self-Governance in India. Despite its passage, the States of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Bihar did not hold the Panchayat elections. Reacting on this, the organisation filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court vide WP (Civil) No.719 in 1995. The plea was upheld and the states were ordered to hold fresh elections. Panchayat elections have since been held in all these states with the exception of Bihar which adhered to the order at a later stage, thus dissolving illegal Panchayats that had been continuing for the last 18 years.

The PRAGATI team was invited to make a presentation before The Standing Committee of the Parliament on Urban and Rural Development on the implementation of the 73rd and 74th amendment to the constitution in December 2001, their suggestion to conduct Exclusive Trainings for Elected Women Functionaries was greatly appreciated and most of the suggestions were incorporated in the 37th Report of the Thirteenth Lok Sabha:

(i) Reservation for women should be extended to at least two terms.

(ii) No - confidence motions against women Chairpersons should not be allowed to be tabled more than once in two years, no oftener, so as to end the widespread harassment of women Chairpersons through threats of No confidence motions, which the Committee find, are more in vogue with respect to women than men Chairperson.

(iii) If a woman Chairperson or a member is removed for any reason whatsoever, she must be replaced by another woman of the same category, not by a man, whether in full or acting charge."  

NYAYA PANCHAYAT: PRAGATI with RLEK has been instrumental in  raising It' voice and building a consensus on the issue of Nyaya Panchayat the true essence of the traditional mode of justice dispensation system.In it's endeavor the team along with the Elected Women Representatives put forth their views to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on  Personal, Public Grievances, Law and Justice under the Chairmanship of Dr. E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan which was highly appreciated.

RLEK supports 50% reservation for women in PR elections

Training modules