'Backward' Bihar Leads India in 'Women Power'

[Guest guest]

PATNA, India (July 9, 2007): For many years, Bihar in northern India

has earned notoriety for being one of the poorest and most lawless

states in the country. Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul once

described it as the place where " civilisation ends " .

 

But all is not lost, perhaps: Bihar is the only state in India to

have 50% of places in local municipal bodies reserved for women.

 

Babita Devi, a 30-something mother of two children, is one of the

beneficiaries of this positive discrimination in a male-dominated

society where women have traditionally lived and worked on the

margins.

 

The wife of a small farmer, Mrs Devi defeated 19 contestants to win

the civic election in her area and become a municipal commissioner.

 

Now she works to keep her neighbourhood clean and improve its

sanitation.

 

" For the first time in my life I have got respect and attention from

my family and society. It feels good, " she says.

 

The present government in Bihar, run by the Janata Dal (United) and

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), began the policy of reserving half of

local municipal body seats for women.

 

Today half of the 262,000 elected councillors to local municipalities

in the state are women.

 

" The 50% reservation for women in civic bodies is not only empowering

women but educating them to a great extent, " says social scientist Dr

Shaibal Gupta.

 

SOURCE: BBC News. Where 'backward' Bihar leads India. By Amarnath

Tewary. BBC News, Patna

URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6263984.stm