STANDPOINTS OF GRASSROOTS WOMEN ON DEVELOPMENT: LEADERSHIP BEYOND THE STATE

Abstract

The development perspective is associated with women's security, their participation in programme implementation, and clear roles and responsibilities. Studies have revealed that programmes that build women's skills are immediate development factors. Development is also about upliftment, which offers justice and equality in society. It means improving all forms, including health, education, gainful employment, and infrastructure. The study describes the views of some grassroots women leaders that they put forward, including adequate communication, women's literacy, women's empowerment on social platforms, elimination of gender gaps, and the recognition of women as active social workers and volunteers. Development is the improvement of physical structures and facilities that involves improving knowledge and motivating people to contribute to the cause of the improvement of society. There are women in positions of authority, but few are involved in implementing programmes. Participation at all the stages of the programme for women leaders is vital to understand and deal with the developmental issues within the stipulated time frame and for the effective functioning and implementation of schemes at the village levels. Hence, the inclusion of women in programme delivery is one of the critical perspectives of development. Thus, the explorative study outlines the viewpoints of grassroots women leaders regarding how women perceive development, their awareness of different schemes and programs, their participation, and the factors contributing to their involvement. Finally, the finding proposes some glimmers for strengthening women's leadership and development from the standpoint of female leaders. For this study, the authors relied on fieldwork and applied In-depth Interactions (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to gather primary data. Simultaneously, secondary information has been collected from various sources and pieces of literature.