Urban Grassroot Governance and Women Leadership: Progress, Issues and Alternatives

Abstract

In this study extent of impact that urban women leaders can assert in urban local political dynamics was analyzed. The study sought to gain an insight into what impact their political representation and leadership styles had on the affiliated self-governing institutions and grassroot governance in last 75 years of Independence. This study thus presents an exhaustive review of the studies of how the urban grassroots were empowered with imbibing gender equality at grassroots through increasing political representation and leadership of women, the challenges further and suggest a direction for future developments. Based on the analysis, now is the present to focus on women's leadership in decision making institutions from mere representation or allegiance to women's empowerment for a logical concatenation. Having more women leaders with transformational leadership style in urban self-governing institutions will have a ripple effect on not only improving grassroot democracies but also bridging the gender gap to meet the sustainable developmental goal gender equality target by 2030, by imbibing inclusivity and shifting focus towards issues of priority and social development. Further, a theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed. Directions for future studies could focus on the development of motivators to empower urban women leaders in urban India.