Women's participation in decentralized government : panchayat raj institutions in rural Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Good governance is a concept that has been promoted by development agencies, particularly the World Bank since 1989. Good governance is not a simple concept; rather it is the amalgamation of a plethora of concepts theorized to bring about development. The scope and goals of good governance have evolved over time from a purely economic standpoint to a social one with the purposes of efficiency and empowerment in mind. The emphasis on democracy within the concept of good governance has led to the additional concept of decentralization. Decentralization encompasses several goals, one of them being increased participation in decision-making by marginalized groups, or a voice in their own development. The purpose of this study is to test decentralization theory in terms of the claims that it makes regarding participation. This study is examining the participation of women as citizens in decentralized governments in the villages of rural Rajasthan, India.