Country's first Balika Panchayat started in Kutch, Gujarat
Taking a unique initiative towards empowering women, the country's first Balika Panchayat was started in Kutch, Gujarat.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has plans to start Balika Panchayat in the entire country soon. This panchayat has been started in Kunaria Maska Motaginya Wadasar Kukma village of Kutch district of Gujarat. Its responsibility is given to the girl child in the age group of 11 to 21 years.
Its main objective is to promote the social and political development of the girl child and to solve their problems by removing the evils present in the society. Women and Child Development Welfare is a unique initiative of the Government of Gujarat under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. The Sarpanch of this Balika Panchayat is 20-year-old Urmi Ahir.
Balika Panchayat is for girls of 10 to 21 years of age. Its main objective is to ensure their participation in active politics by making the girls aware of the decision process of Panchayat from childhood. Earlier women were largely ignored and they were subjected to a lot of atrocities. In the state by women getting 50 percent participation in the administration this has improved a lot. However, a lot of efforts will still have to be made to empower women in remote villages.
All the work of the Panchayat of the women Sarpanch is done by her husband or father. It is clear from this that women are getting
participation but they are still not free in the system of governance. To solve all these questions, Balika Panchayat has been created by Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Panchayat.