Empowering Women to Combat Drug and Alcohol Issues through Participation in Local Self-Governance: A Study
Author(s): Shanti Riang, Puneet Pathak*, Sukhwinder Kaur, Ravinder Kaur, Deepesh Yadav and Saurav Narayan
Abstract
Women’s empowerment and participation in governance are critical for sustainable development and inclusive governance, particularly in addressing drug and alcohol issues. Decentralisation of governance at the rural level, introduced by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1993 and supplemented by state legislatures, serves as an effective and crucial indicator leading to inclusive governance. This system provides greater opportunities for women to participate in decision-making, particularly through reservations for women in local self-governance. This study aims to understand the concept of Women’s empowerment in local self-governance and determine the relationship between participation and Women’s empowerment, with a specific focus on addressing drug and alcohol issues. Using a descriptive research design, the study explores the concept of Women’s empowerment through document reviews and data collected from documentary sources, reports, and legislative documents, including an intensive search across a range of online databases. Findings reveal that participation and empowerment are inseparably linked; they are distinct yet interdependent, giving each other meaning and purpose. The active involvement of women in local self-governance has enabled them to employ innovative approaches to generate, sustain, and implement alternative methods to combat drug and alcohol issues. Empowering women through their participation in policy making and implementing policies to combat drug and alcohol issues at local level leads to the
evolution of a sustainable society.
