POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN GRAMPANCHAYAT OF ODISHA-A STUDY

The present study attempts to study the extent of the political participation of women in the functioning as well as the electoral process of panchayats and their problems. The study was conducted in july 2018 using a sample of 80 women respondents from kharida Binayakpur Gram Panchyat of Basudevpur Block in Bhadrak District of Odisha. The findings of the study revealed that political participation of women in the electoral process of the panchyat is rather satisfactory, but sofar as assembly and parliament elections are concerned women have great apathy towards politics. The mala dominated society, culture and low level of education are greatly responsible for the back wardness of women