Bihar's women sarpanchs: Breaking the glass ceiling

Patna: The political see-saw over the introduction of reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies continues, in Bihar though, a reservation for women at the panchayat level has been in place for three years now, an experiment that was later followed by governments across the country, and one that is beginning to see some fruits now.

Bihar was the first state to implement reservation for women at the Panchayat level three years ago. Many would say the effects of this have been largely symbolic. But now slowly but steadily positive stories are beginning to emerge.

Rekha Singh is the head of Langurav Belandpur village. One of the first things she did after winning the election last year was to assemble a team of women to run a gas plant for the government cold storage.

"It has helped the women. They feel if I can head the plant, they can surely earn their living.", says Rekha Singh.

In nearby Salimbad, Anjum Ara is the Deputy Sarpanch, a position of great pride because she contested this seat not as a woman candidate but in the general category. She attributes her victory to the support of women in her village.

Anjum Ara, Deputy Sarpanch, Salimabad Village: "Earlier the women would not raise their voices. Now they inundate me with their problems. If the Women's Bill is passed, it will create an aspirational value for women like us."

Today, Bihar's Panchayats have many women. A lot of them are said to be proxy candidates for their husbands or powerful families.

But equally true are the stories of Rekha and Anjum who stand their ground taller than the glass ceiling.