Community Participation and Women’s Empowerment: The Kerala Experience of Participatory Planning and Budgeting

Citation:

George, Sunny. 2015. “Community Participation and Women’s Empowerment: The Kerala Experience of Participatory Planning and Budgeting.” In Gender Responsive and Participatory Budgeting, edited by Cecilia Ng, 81–95. SpringerBriefs in Environment, Security, Development and Peace 22. Springer International Publishing. 

Author: Sunny George

Abstract:

This chapter provides a brief account of Kerala state’s decentralization process and its achievements, particularly in relation to participatory budgeting and women’s empowerment. The chapter describes the process of development as expanding people’s capabilities, and strengthening of local government by devolving functions and finances. With efforts to actively involve people in local governance at every stage, and embed women’s empowerment and poverty reduction in the system, the powers and functions of the grama sabha are actually embedded in the people. Using case studies of women’s empowerment, this chapter highlights the lessons learnt from these reformed structures and processes.

Keywords: people’s participation, women’s empowerment, participatory budgeting, governance, Panchayat system

Topics: Development, Economies, Gender, Women, Gender Analysis, Gender Budgeting, Gendered Power Relations, Governance, Political Participation Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: India

Year: 2015