International Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research_____________________________ ISSN 2277-3630 IJSSIR, Vol. 4 (4), APRIL (2015), pp. 174-179 Online available at indianresearchjournals.com POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN INDIA MANPREET KAUR BRAR RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA. ABSTRACT Women empowerment means all round development which includes their physical, social, economic and political. The issue of women empowerment is on the priority of almost all the democratic societies in their effort to establish a society based on justice and human rights. Political empowerment of women and at producing women leaders in the society, is the utmost need of present world. Political empowerment means women should give proper representation in the political decision making bodies but in reality, women’s are under representation in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In this paper, reasons behind the least participation of women in politics is highlight and some useful suggestions are also incorporated which can be helpful in augmenting female participation into politics. ABSTRACT: Women, empowerment, development. REFERENCES 1. J. Bystydrienski (ed. 1992), Women Transforming Politics: Worldwide Strategies for Empowerment. Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indian Polis. 2. Robert A Dahl (1961), Who Governs? New Haven, Yal University Press, p. 6. 3. Jakarta Declaration for Advancement of Women in Asia and Pacific (1994), Adopted at the Second Asia and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development, Jakarta. 4. S.P. Jain (1998), “Empowerment of Rural Women Through Local Self Government in Afro-Asian Countries”, Journal of Rural Construction, Vol. 36, No.2, pp.37-50. 5. E. Hust, (2004), Women Political Representation and Empowerment in India. A Million Indira's Now? New Delhi Manohar Publisher. 6. P.M. Bakshi (2000), The Constitution of India, Delhi: Universal Law Publishing Co., p. 26. 7. A. Beteille (1999), Empowerment, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 589-597. 8. Menon Nivedita (1991), A Feminist Perspective, Seminar No. 385, p.33. 9. G. Polanithurai (1992), Contemporary Issues in Development Dynamics, New Delhi, Kanishka Publishers, p. 252. 10. Baseline Report (1998), “Women and political participation in India” prepared by NIAs and coordinated by IWRAW Asia Pacific, advanced unedited version. 11. National Policy for Empowerment of Women (2001), Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resources Development, New Delhi, Government of India