State, Community and Private Interests in Local Governance: A Review and Research Agenda

This chapter explores two significant institutional developments in rural India—Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and self-help groups (SHGs)—both of which have significantly impacted women. We are particularly interested in the convergence and overlap of PRIs and SHGs, and the possibilities it presents for deepening participation of women in economic and political life as well as for development at the local level more broadly. The chapter explores these questions through a review of the broader literature and some preliminary studies and concludes that there is a case for cautious optimism despite regional variability, and long-standing challenges to effective outcomes, including a continued reliance on women’s unremunerated labour and the invisibilisation of their work.