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Empowering Women Parshads in Dehradun Municipal Council
The need for capacity building of municipal councillors, particularly women, is well established. This article outlines an approach to “empowering” women municipal councillors by expanding their possibilities for “self-becoming.” Drawing upon empirical research on the lived experiences of women parshads (municipal councillors) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it suggests a series of interventions that correspond to particular needs and opportunities at different stages of their term. Theories of social change and the literature on adult pedagogy further inform the design of effective learning opportunities.
Field research and the design of the capacity-building programme was conducted with the Panchayati Rule and Gender Awareness Training Institute, Dehradun. The research was funded by an Australian Research Council DECRA. My sincere gratitude to the inspiring parshads of Dehradun who gave their time and shared their knowledge for this project.