Policy is often viewed as the final step toward promoting gender parity. But legal recognition ≠ social recognition. This study asks the question, how do social norms and traditions interact with policy in northern India? Has the Panchayat Act been successful in its goal of promoting gender parity in local governance? How has the 2005 Hindu Succession Amendment Act shaped perceptions of female land inheritance rights among elected village leaders?

1. Gender-Based Public
Policies and the Role
of Patriarchal
Cultural Norms:
Evidence from
Northern India
April 1, 2020
MacMillan Center Academic Exchange Series
Pareena Lawrence, Yale MacMillan Center
Catherine Hensly, American University
Maria Brun

2. Introduction & Overview
• Policy – often viewed as the final step toward promoting gender parity
• But legal recognition ≠ social recognition
• How do social norms and traditions interact with policy in northern India?
• Has the Panchayat Act been successful in its goal of promoting gender parity in
local governance?
• How has the 2005 Hindu Succession Amendment Act shaped perceptions of female
land inheritance rights among elected village leaders?
• Patriarchal attitudes comprise significant barriers to actual change
• Policy must be situated as a first step with supporting measures (better training,
resetting expectations at the village level, targeted public service messaging) to
affect change

3. Patriarchy
in Northern India
• Research conducted in two states:
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh
• Brahmanical tradition as practiced in
these states includes strict social
boundaries based on gender and caste
• Separation of ghar (household/feminine)
and bahir (outside/masculine) is enforced
by several social mechanisms:
• Purdah (veil) and physical separation
• Traditional inheritance practices
• Social alliance and marriage practices
Available from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:India_states
_and_union_territories_map.svg

4. Key Policies
• The Panchayat Act (73rd and 74th Amendments)
• Reserves >1/3 of local government seats for women
• 2005 Amendment to the Hindu Succession Act
• Grants women equal inheritance rights as men with respect to all types of
family property, including agriculture
• Provide legal basis but not necessarily full practice
• Literature finds mixed results with regards to practical enactment and
subsequent policy generation

5. Methods
• Structured field interviews with
sarpanches (leaders) and villagers in
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in 2007-
2010
• Topics covered include:
• Demographic information
• Measures of patriarchy
• Division of labor, education,
mobility/access to resources –
observation of purdah
• Measures of political participation
• Knowledge of powers and functions,
meeting attendance, accountability,
programs/policies undertaken,
cooperation with other members and
leaders…

6. State Demographic Characteristics

7. Sample Demographic Characteristics
Haryana Himachal Pradesh
Women Men Women Men
Age (mean) 48.22
(13.40)
47.66
(11.78)
39.80
(9.43)
45.89
(10.60)
Religion = Hindu 83.73% 89.44% 95.36% 95.39%
Observation of purdah 64.41% - 5.96% -
Marital status = Married 90.85% 94.99% 92.05% 98.04%
Primary occupation
Housewife 79.17% - 44.00% -
Agricultural labor 8.68% 50.00% 7.33% 12.58%
Non-agricultural labor 6.25% 7.54% 0.67% 1.99%
Own farm activities 0.35% 14.80% 13.33% 19.21%
Salaried employment 0.35% 6.70% 5.33% 11.84%
Sarpanch 2.08% 0.84% 22.67% 9.93%
Years of education (mean) 3.53
(4.39)
9.25
(4.09)
9.40
(3.45)
10.61
(3.37)
Literate 43.73% 88.89% 94.70% 98.03%
N 295 360 151 152

8. Political Participation: Knowledge Level
• Demonstrated no comprehension of responsibilities
• Or showed zero-interest in the role and panchayat
activities
•No knowledge
• Incomplete knowledge of roles/responsibilities as
sarpanch
• Limited in knowledge of programs and funds available
Semi-knowledgeable
• Well-aware of responsibilities, access to programs,
and funds available
• Up-to-date on recent changes in programs
Knowledgeable

9. Political Participation: Knowledge Level
Haryana Himachal Pradesh
Women Men Women Men
First time running 97.96% 88.33% 89.40% 77.63%
Holds reserved seat 96.61% 25.28% 86.09% 31.58%
Aware of reservation policy 50.85% 94.17% 94.04% 99.34%
No knowledge 60.88% 1.11% 3.97% 0.00%
Semi-knowledgeable 10.20% 1.11% 8.61% 1.32%
Knowledgeable 28.91% 97.78% 87.42% 98.68%
N 295 360 151 152

10. Political Participation: Activity Level
• No knowledge whatsoever and no demonstrable interest in the role•Inactive
• Somewhat knowledgeable with a demonstrated interest in
responsibilities, but no observable participation in governance activitiesBarely active
• Fully knowledgeable but limited in their capacity to participate (Ex: social
norms require a male escort and input from male leaders to exercise
decisions)
Semi-active
• Knowledgeable about roles, responsibilities, and current government
schemes and priorities; able to recount detailed information regarding
current and future development projects
Fully active

11. Political Participation: Activity Level
Haryana Himachal Pradesh
Women Men Women Men
Inactive 63.39% 1.39% 2.65% 0.00%
Barely active 8.14% 0.28% 5.30% 0.00%
Semi-active 16.61% 5.56% 18.54% 7.24%
Fully active 11.86% 92.78% 73.51% 92.76%
N 295 360 151 152

12. Political Participation: Proxy Status
Haryana Himachal Pradesh
Proxy status as a sarpanch
Self-reported being "in charge" 17.29% 85.33%
Sarpanch in name only 82.71% 14.67%
Who actually runs the panchayat, if
sarpanch in name only
Husband 61.22% 12.00%
Other male 21.77% 1.33%
Other female 0.34% 0.00%
Other panches, higher caste, gov't
officials
0.68% 0.00%
N 295 151

13. Key Take-Aways
• Results confirm power of patriarchy and
its ability to subvert the efficacy of
policies aimed to promote gender equity
“If we start doing the work, what will
men do? Men should do their work,
and women should do their work; that’s
how things have been for centuries
and how they should continue to be.”
–Older female sarpanch, Haryana
“If women start participating in governance
and running local governance, who is going to
cook and take care of the house and
children? Who will make the tea when the
villagers come with their complaints?”
–Several older sarpanches, Haryana
“I want to fly, but they do not let me spread my wings; in fact, they actively clip
my wings at any chance they get.” – Female sarpanch, Haryana
• Cultural barriers and expectations on
how women present themselves in the
public sphere must be addressed for any
hope of long-term institutional change

14. Policy Implications
•Policy must be situated as the first step in a more comprehensive
change process – there must be a shift in the paradigm for gender-
based public policy to be successful in meeting target goals
Positive encouragement and support from other public officials can
combat otherwise predominant patriarchal norms
Include better training of public officials, reset of expectations at the
village level, and public service messaging about land rights and
political participation