In Bihar, women in local politics rendered puppets by husbands

In Bihar, women in local politics rendered puppets by husbands

In Bihar, women in local politics rendered puppets by husbands

Councillor Surbhi Shikha's husband (left) dominates the workings of her ward, seen here supervising a vaccination camp (Photo sourced by Saumya Jyotsna)


Despite being elected to chair wards and panchayats in Muzaffarpur, male members of their families assume power and perform their public duties.


Muzaffarpur: In October last year, the plight of women in politics in Bihar was brought to light in a public court held by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna. Pinky Kumari, a ward member of Khutaha panchayat in the Bhagalpur district, demanded action against her husband for hindering her work as an elected representative. 

“I want to implement the drinking water supply scheme under your dream project ‘Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal’, but my husband is hampering my efforts. Please take action against him for creating such hurdles in government work.”

While the Chief Minister instructed panchayat officers to take action on Kumari’s complaint, hers isn’t an isolated incident. Kumari’s predicament mirrors the helplessness of thousands of women across Bihar, who—despite being elected to the posts of sarpanch in panchayats, as members of panchayats or as ward councillors in municipal corporations—are forced to relinquish their power to the men in their family. In fact, a tour of rural Bihar will fetch you examples of husbands, fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law and other men carrying out the responsibilities that were, in reality, handed to these women, rendering them mere rubber stamps with no real authority.


Reservation seemingly a farce

In an attempt to augment women’s participation in public affairs, the Bihar government implemented 50% reservation for women in panchayats in 2006, hoping to ease their access to the chair and populate at least half of the 2.6 lakh panchayat seats with women. Under this reservation, in the Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation, 25 of the 49 wards have female councillors. However, they remain elected representatives only by name because, in reality, their roles remain restricted to their homes, while their public duties are performed by their husbands. Reduced to the stature of puppets, their significant others are called to corporation meetings and make decisions in the name of the true public representative. 

Nirmala Devi, the elected head of Ward 19, is one such example. A local resident told 101Reporters, “I once approached Nirmala Devi for some work, when her husband openly said he was the one who did the actual work.” 

Similarly, councillors Shahnaj Khatoon of Ward 12 and Surbhi Shikha of Ward 30 aren’t the ones in positions of power. Their husbands dominate the workings of the wards under their wives’ ambit. In fact, Shikha’s partner even openly shares photos of his unjustified authority on Facebook; he can be spotted at Covid-19 vaccination drives as well as at road construction projects.


Such is the plight of several female ward councillors in Bihar, with local residents attesting to their situation. One Ranjan told 101Reporters that when they have issues to address, civilians are made to meet their councillors’ husbands at civic bodies, while the women stay home. Her role is reduced to merely signing papers at corporation meetings at the behest of their male counterparts.


A handful in real power

While it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the majority of the women, elected to municipal corporations and panchayats under the reservation, are unable to assume power, there are a select few who take charge.


Ranju Sinha, the elected councillor in Muzaffarpur’s Ward 29, is well aware of her responsibilities—from taking stock of the state of her ward to overseeing Covid-19 vaccination drives and other projects.


“Women get a chance to come to power because of reservation,” she told 101Reporters. “But when they do, they remain ignorant of how they must carry themselves, speak at corporation meetings and perform their duties to ensure their participation. That is lacking.”


Covid-19 vaccination drive organised by Ranju Sinha (right) (Photo sourced by Saumya Jyotsna)


The councillor for Ward 42, Archna Pandit, lamented how hard it is for women to shine through in our male-dominated society.


“Girls are born in their father's shadow and then move on to their husband’s. They get accustomed to being dependent on others, because of which they don’t assert their rights,” Pandit emphasised. “Women have to prove their ability and raise their voice for their rights.”


Reservation far from the solution

“Politics has always been a male-dominated field, with the power always in their hands,” pointed out Kanksshi Agarwal, founder of the Netri Foundation, an organisation that helps train women to be better prepared for politics. “Politics involves being acquainted with the people and the social system. Given that women aren’t allowed the same freedom of movement as men, the latter develop a stronger social identity and greater affinity for politics.”


While Agarwal believes that reservation offers women the first step to climb the political ladder, which, in turn, inspires other women to get involved in the affairs of the state, several experts believe that reservation alone isn’t the solution.


Kundan Kumar Verma, a researcher from the University of Bihar who has studied the progress of the five-year plan and rural development in depth, said that lack of education among women was the primary reason men continue to assert their dominance in local governance.


“The situation will not see any change till women are made aware of their rights and develop confidence,” he added.


Additional Public Prosecutor Sangeeta Shahi echoed his views. 


“Most female representatives are illiterate or poorly educated, due to which they are unaware of their rights,” said Shahi, who is also the president of Muzaffarpur district’s Women’s Advocates Association “They are not well-versed with government policies and show no interest in politics. They stand for elections at the behest of their families, after which their husbands assume power.”


Government officials were unwilling to share their comments on the prevalent situation in Bihar. Muzaffarpur Municipal Commissioner Vivek Ranjan Maitrey and Municipal Corporation Mayor Rakesh Kumar both declined to comment on women in politics in Bihar being pushed to the sidelines.

Would you like to Support us

Health
Climate
Agriculture

101 Stories Around The Web

Explore All News
‘’मलेरियाने माझा मुलगा अन् नवरा बी मेला’’... गडचिरोलीमध्ये तापमान बदलाचा आणि डासांचा काय आहे संबंध?
S
 

Sanjana Khandare

Jun 11 

‘’मलेरियाने माझा मुलगा अन् नवरा बी मेला’’... गडचिरोलीमध्ये तापमान बदलाचा आणि डासांचा काय आहे संबंध?

ओडिशा : जलवायु चुनौतियों से निबटने मैंग्रोव संरक्षण के कार्य में जुटी महिलाओं की कहानी
R
 

Rakhi Ghosh

Jun 11 

ओडिशा : जलवायु चुनौतियों से निबटने मैंग्रोव संरक्षण के कार्य में जुटी महिलाओं की कहानी

A Painful Period In The Salt Pans Of Little Rann Of Kutch
A
 

AMARENDRA KISHORE

Mar 27 

A Painful Period In The Salt Pans Of Little Rann Of Kutch

Madhya Pradesh: Where is Our Free Time?
L
 

Laxmikanta Joshi

Mar 27 

Madhya Pradesh: Where is Our Free Time?

Dilemma Faced By Poor Farmers In Bundelkhand: Grow Organic While Selling Non-Organic
S
 

Sneha Richhariya

Feb 02 

Dilemma Faced By Poor Farmers In Bundelkhand: Grow Organic While Selling Non-Organic

Giridih saves its village ponds with NITI Aayog's help
R
 

Rahul Singh

Feb 02 

Giridih saves its village ponds with NITI Aayog's help

Odisha students use mobile cameras and pens to preserve village history
A
 

Abhijit Mohanty

Jul 29 

Odisha students use mobile cameras and pens to preserve village history

Rajasthan: Fasal Bima Yojana and the Art of Minimising Payouts
A
 

Ashvi Jain

Jul 29 

Rajasthan: Fasal Bima Yojana and the Art of Minimising Payouts

Waste to wealth: Bhopal district panchayat spends Rs 75,000 per month to earn just Rs 4.5 lakh a year
S
 

Sanavver Shafi

May 25 

Waste to wealth: Bhopal district panchayat spends Rs 75,000 per month to earn just Rs 4.5 lakh a year

A Victory For Unmarried Rajasthani Women As Anganwadi Positions Open For Them
A
 

Amarpal Singh Verma

May 10 

A Victory For Unmarried Rajasthani Women As Anganwadi Positions Open For Them

Write For 101Reporters

Would you like to Support us

Follow Us On

Editor's Pick

J
Jamsheena Mullappatt
18 Jul, 2025

How Kerala heatwaves are boiling over to construction workers’ personal lives

S
Sharik Akhtar Durrani
09 Jul, 2025

Empowering didis: In Burhanpur, management of ration shops is boosting women’s confidence and financial independence

R
Raima Kayal
23 Jun, 2025

No childhood in the mangroves: What is the climate change’s toll on Sundarbans youth

S
Sanjana Khandare
06 Jun, 2025

In the remote, tribal villages of Gadchiroli, climate change is breeding malaria

N
Navya PK
22 May, 2025

Discontent and misgovernance as Tamil Nadu postpones panchayat elections

S
Satish Malviya
21 May, 2025

Curse of the canal: Seepage and waterlogging lay waste to agriculture in Rajasthan's Luni delta

M
Maitreyee Boruah
02 May, 2025

Assam's ‘left-behind’ women wage lonely, futile battle against extreme floods

A
Arsalan Bukhari
19 Apr, 2025

'Now we want the chair': Kashmir’s women SHG leaders gear up to fight panchayat elections

L
Laxmikanta Joshi
19 Mar, 2025

Where is our free time?

See All Stories 

Recommended Topics