POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH PANCHAYATS (A STUDY ON COASTAL DISTRICTS OF ANDHRA PRADESH)

About 24% of India’s population lives in the coastal states (Andhra Pradesh (AP), West Bengal (WB), Tamil Nadu (TN) and Orissa). West Bengal is densely populated followed by Andhra Pradesh. And For the last few decades, the concept of empowerment has come to occupy a key place in almost all the countries, both developed and developing. Several issues relating to this concept have been engaging the serious attention of researchers of Social Science disciplines. Empowerment in any sphere plays an important role in molding the social, economic, and political life of people in all communities. As such, empowerment is a universal phenomenon. Unfortunately, women, who constitute about half of the total population, did not enjoy any political rights in the past in any society. In the Indian context, the political participation of women and ultimately their political empowerment have gained a lot of prominence after the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992. This landmark act made a historical beginning in the direction of political empowerment of women by providing them with 33.33 percent of reservations in the political offices in the grassroots level. This research paper will discuss political empowerment of women, in the Panchayat Raj Body’s coastal district of Andhra Pradesh.