Bihar Government has taken a serious note towards the proxy rule by the husbands of the elected officials in Bihar’s rural Areas. In a recent development the Government has ordered arrest and jailing of all those trying to attend official meetings on behalf of their elected wives.
This scenario got a big boost in 2006, when the Government reserved 50 percent of total seats for Women in rural and municipal elections. As a result, 130,500 seats in local councils in Bihar are now held by women, even though majority are actually controlled by their husbands.
Social and Women Rights Activists have welcomed this step and expected this would add to the Women Empowerment in Bihar.