SC Highlights Gender Bias Against Women Leaders In Panchayats

Panchayat

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday expressed strong disapproval of the widespread gender discrimination faced by elected female representatives, particularly at the Panchayat level.

The Court’s remarks came while examining the case of a female Sarpanch (village head) who was unfairly ousted from her position due to alleged delays in development projects.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that this case is part of a broader and systemic issue of prejudice and discrimination against female Sarpanches.

The Court highlighted that the removal of women from positions of power, especially in rural and remote areas, is often treated as a casual matter, with democratic processes and principles of natural justice being ignored.

The justices emphasized that this entrenched bias demands urgent reform and introspection.

The Court criticized the normalization of such gender bias, stressing that it is particularly concerning in a nation striving to become an economic powerhouse. The justices urged administrative authorities, who hold considerable power, to lead by example and actively promote women’s empowerment, rather than adopting regressive attitudes that undermine female leadership in governance.

The case involved Sonam Lakra, a 27-year-old woman who had been elected as the Sarpanch of Sajbahar Gram Panchayat. Despite being entrusted with several development projects, including road construction, she was blamed for delays and removed from office in January 2024.

The woman challenged her removal, but the High Court denied her relief. She then approached the Supreme Court.

Previously on November 14, the Supreme Court ordered her reinstatement, awarded her ₹1 lakh in compensation for the harassment she faced, and concluded that she had been unfairly targeted.

The Court found that the removal proceedings against her were initiated on flimsy pretexts and criticized the treatment of elected representatives as subordinate to bureaucrats, which undermines their democratic legitimacy.

The judgment called for a reevaluation of the current system, urging that elected representatives should not be treated as civil servants but as leaders with genuine democratic authority.

Advocates Manish Kumar Gupta, Lave Kumar Sharma, and Sharadprakash Pandey represented the appellant, while Deputy Advocate General Vikrant Singh Bais, along with several other lawyers, appeared for the State of Chhattisgarh.