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Research Proposal

Distribution of the Sarpanch’s work: Domestic and Political

Introduction

The article 243D of our constitution mandates that a minimum of one-third of the total number of
seats at all levels in the Panchayati Raj Institutions will be reserved for women. Following this, The
Haryana Panchayati Raj Act was enacted in 1994 which reserved one-third seats for women at all
levels. The required mandate is of 33%, and Haryana exceeds this by having a 41% reservation.
Despite the huge number, existing research has suggested that increased participation of women
does not translate into high performance. This raises questions about the gap between participation
and performance.

Rationale behind the Research

Reservation for women in PRIs points to the prominent gender divide in rural India. However, not
much has been done to check if the reservation itself is enough for women empowerment. The
rationale behind this research is to find out the factors affecting the sarpanch’s performance.
Furthermore, the focus is on the domestic expectations from the sarpanch that might hinder their
political performance.

Research Question

What are the familial factors restricting the Sarpanch from doing her job? How much of a
role does gender play into the profession of a Sarpanch? Upon undertaking the responsibility
of a Sarpanch, is the woman capable of managing her domestic responsibilities? Are there
any systems in place to come to aid so the woman can do her job, if she wishes to?

Literature Review

On the one hand, legal and statutory texts will be used to understand the political framework under
which the reservation works. On the other, gender studies will come to aid to explore nuances in
working women and the limitations they face.

Objectives of the research

1. To analyse job roles performed by the women sarpanch


2. To distinguish the jobs as domestic and political
3. To note how the Sarpanch’s domestic role affects the political
4. To note the role of the Sarpanch pati in the domestic sphere
5. To look at how gender plays into the domestic and political spheres

Research Methodology

The study will be conducted in all the 6 blocks of Karnal District i.e. Karnal, Nissing, Nilokheri,
Assandh, Indri, and Gharaunda.

Sampling Methods:
Selection of Women Sarpanch and Sarpanch Pati:

30 women sarpanches and their sarpanch pati (or active male relative) will be randomly selected
from each block to study about job role division, role performance, and factors resulting in high
involvement. Thus, a total of 60 women sarpanches and 60 sarpanch pati will be selected.

Instrument used for data collection:

The data will be collected via detailed personal interviews with the selected respondents.

Measurement of Role Performance and Job Role Distribution: (elaborate on your RQ)

The set of functions will be divided into political and domestic, undertaken by both the Sarpanch and
Sarpanch Pati. Role performance Index will be calculated as the cumulative score obtained divided
by the maximum score that can be obtained by each respondent. To understand the Job role
distribution, there will be three indicators:

1. Percentage of Job Roles: domestic versus political only performed by the women sarpanch
2. Percentage of Job Roles: domestic versus political only performed by the sarpanch
pati/active male member
3. Overlap Percentage of Job Roles

Measurement of factors influencing the performance of women sarpanches:

The following parameters will be measured to understand the factors influencing their performance-

1. Profile Characteristics
1.1. Age
1.2. Caste
1.3. Education Qualification
1.4. Marital Status
1.5. Annual Income of Family
1.6. Annual Income of the Sarpanch, if earning
1.7. Occupation
1.8. Family Type
1.9. Number of Children
2. Political Awareness
3. Political affiliation of the family
4. Individual Political Background
5. Past Experience
6. Self-Motivation
7. Family Support
8. Training and Capacity Building
9. Interactions with line departments
10. Community Mobilisation
11. Public Dealing
12. Domestic v/s Political tasks

12.1 Household chores distribution


12.2 Primary child care-giver

12.3 Primary income

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