Sensitising men is as critical as empowering women for gender-equal grassroots governance.

Q. Sensitising men is as critical as empowering women for gender-equal grassroots governance. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Article 243D reserves not less than one-third of Panchayat seats for women, yet the persistence of "sarpanch-pati" proxy rule shows that numerical entry alone does not deliver voice. Gender-equal grassroots governance therefore demands reforming the male-dominated norms women enter, as much as capacitating the women themselves.

Why empowering women alone falls short - Proxy leadership: elected women representatives (EWRs) often find agendas, tenders and gram sabha proceedings controlled by male relatives, converting representation into tokenism. - Capacity deficit: recognising this, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj's Nirbhay Netri targets legal and functional training of about 14.5 lakh EWRs [1]. - But such training operates within a male-gatekept ecosystem — a trained woman cannot alone alter the sabha's decision culture.

Why sensitising men is equally critical - Men remain the numerical and social majority in gram sabhas and standing committees; Article 243G read with Eleventh Schedule Entry 25 places women and child welfare in Panchayat hands, so delivery depends on their attitudes. - Nirbhay Chetna, launched under the Nirbhaya Fund, seeks to sensitise over 17.5 lakh male elected representatives through a cascading cadre of 28,500 master trainers — described as the world's largest such drive [2]. - Legal literacy inputs with NLSIU Bengaluru on domestic violence, child marriage and sexual offence law convert men from bystanders into duty-bearers [1]. - It repositions safety as a male responsibility, addressing patriarchal gatekeeping at its source rather than its symptom.

A calibrated caution - Attitudinal change is slow; one-off modules need refresher cycles and outcome audits. - Nirbhaya Fund absorption has been uneven, with roughly 76% utilised so far, underlining delivery and monitoring gaps [3].

Empowerment and sensitisation are thus complementary halves of one reform: capacity without a receptive institution, or sensitisation without empowered women, both stall. Sustaining gender budgeting, social audit of Panchayat decisions and periodic re-training can institutionalise these gains, advancing SDG-5 and the constitutional promise of substantive equality.

(~320 words)

Sources: 1. Ministry of Panchayati Raj conducts Training of Trainers Programme under 'Nirbhay Raho' Initiative, PIB — Nirbhay Raho components, Nirbhay Netri covering 14.5 lakh EWRs, NLSIU legal partnership 2. 'Nirbhay Chetna' Rolled Out: To Sensitize Over 17.5 lakh Male Elected Representatives on Women Safety & Gender Equality Issues at the Grassroots, PIB — target of 17.5 lakh male representatives, 28,500 master trainers, world's largest drive 3. Government Implements Schemes under Nirbhaya Fund, utilizes nearly 76% of Nirbhaya Fund, PIB — Nirbhaya Fund utilisation levels