ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the nature of state politics facilitating and hampering women's political participation and gender equality for their empowerment in one of the industrially advanced states of India. While critically interrogating historical forces of the last century and the nature of civil society, the chapter argues that the upper-caste male elites encourage women of their class/caste for socioeconomic development within a patriarchal model. Their notion of empowering women has been limited to giving women education and/or income-generating activities. The chapter also discusses how economic growth did open up new avenues for women but they do not get equal opportunities in the market. Given this situation the chapter points out that women's political participation at all levels, more so in local government institutions, has increased and they do raise issues affecting their day-to-day life within the patriarchal structure of power relationships.
