“We didn’t know what a Gram Sabha was or why it was held. We never attended because it was always held three kilometres away in Kodepur, where the Panchayat office is located,” shared Gaurubai Gedam, a resident of Gharpana, as she reflected on the general indifference of her village towards these meetings.

This situation is common in many villages across central India. Small settlements or hamlets are often grouped together to form a Panchayat, but many of these hamlets are located far from the Gram Panchayat office, making participation in meetings difficult.

“Although Gram Sabhas were held in Kodepur, we were not always informed properly. Sometimes, notices of these meetings were posted in our village, but we didn’t fully understand their importance. Traveling to Kodepur also meant losing a day’s work, so we often chose not to attend,” explained Pattubai Marskolhe, another woman leader from Gharpana.

Gharpana is a tribal village nestled in the mountainous region of Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. The 79 families in the village primarily depend on farming, agricultural labor, and occasional work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). However, the community’s experience with MGNREGA had turned sour in recent times.

The civic literacy campaign initiated by the Loksamgraha Social Service Society (LSSS) under the Jeevan project provided valuable guidance to the villagers. Supported by Misereor, the Jeevan project aimed to organize women into community-based organizations and promote women’s involvement in governance and agriculture. LSSS introduced a series of activities, including leadership development, literacy programs on government schemes, and training in public speaking and community representation. The community also learned about the provisions under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA), which enhances the functions of Gram Sabhas in tribal regions.

To give villagers practical exposure to Gram Sabha proceedings, LSSS organized mock Gram Sabhas starting in October 2023. These demonstrations were designed to educate the community about how to convene special Gram Sabha meetings for local matters.

“Women of the village decided to work together to address our unpaid wages. We submitted a request to the Sarpanch for a special Gram Sabha in our village where we could discuss these issues,” recounted Ms. Pattubai Marskolhe.

Women faced stiff resistance as expected. “Neither the Sarpanch nor the revenue officer were willing to organize the special Gram Sabha. They were both relatives and were afraid that such a meeting would expose their misconduct,” said Radhabai Pendore, a woman farmer leader from the village. “But we remained determined.”

Recognizing that local officials were stalling, the women decided to escalate their demands to higher authorities. On November 16, 2023, they submitted a petition to the Block Development Officer (BDO), outlining their grievances. “The BDO assured us he would intervene and even promised to personally attend the special Gram Sabha for women,” Ms. Radhabai shared.

But despite assurances, no action followed. After waiting a month, the women returned to the BDO to remind him of his promise. Once again, they were given assurances of immediate action. Despite their growing frustration, they decided to wait a little longer and trust the BDO once more.

Their persistence finally paid off. On February 26, 2024, the first-ever special Gram Sabha for women in the region was held. “During the meeting, we raised our concerns about unpaid MGNREGA wages and the formation of a PESA committee for the village,” said Dhurpata Marskolhe, brimming with joy. The special Gram Sabha not only accepted several of the women’s demands but also passed resolutions on key development issues for the village.

Soon after, positive changes became evident. The villagers received their overdue wages, a PESA committee was established to oversee local development efforts, and funds were allocated under the PESA Act.

“This achievement was an important milestone for our community,” concluded Dhurpata Marskolhe, expressing her pride and newfound confidence in their collective efforts.