Towards a Politics of Collective Empouierment: Learning from Hill women in Rural Uttarakhand, India

摘要

This article argues that to understand the conditions that enable effective participation by uuomen in politics, analysis is needed not just of the characteristics and performance of elected uuomen leaders but also the extent to uuhich village communities are engaged through collective processes, in demanding accountability from those elected. The article presents the experiences of a uuomen's movement in the Uttarakhand that has evolved from a programme of environmental education in the region. Overthe years, this movement has developed a strong political consciousness. women's participation in Wole Village Groups has paved the uuay for active engagement uuith local governance institutions. The article concludes that by enabling collective spaces,reinforcing norms of equality and inclusiveness through debate and negotiation, building netuuorks across villages and supporting each other through conflicts and confrontation, the organisations concerned have demonstrated that processes of collectiveempouuerment can lead to effective political participation.