Knowledge and Responsibilities of Women Representatives in Gram Panchayats

Abstract Background: This study examined the awareness levels of elected women representatives regarding their roles, responsibilities, and the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, along with their socio-demographic profile in Dakshina Kannada district. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted, and 350 women representatives were selected from 88 Gram Panchayats using multistage stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results: Most respondents were ordinary members (87.4%), married (91.4%), and aged between 31–50 years (78.2%). The majority belonged to nuclear families (66.0%) and economically weaker sections, with 78.3% holding BPL ration cards. Educational attainment was generally low to moderate, with only 0.9% having a degree or higher education. Nearly half of the respondents demonstrated high awareness of the roles of women representatives (48.6%), while 55.4% showed high overall knowledge of elected women members in Panchayat governance. Although 66.6% were aware of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, awareness regarding its focus and specific functions of Gram Panchayats remained limited. Significant associations were observed between knowledge levels and demographic variables such as age, education, income, position, and religion (p < 0.001). The study concludes that despite active participation, elected women representatives require enhanced institutional support through systematic training and capacity-building programmes to improve awareness and strengthen grassroots democratic governance.