Tapi, Feb 13 (NationPress) Chikhalvav, a tribal locality within Vyara taluka of Tapi district in Gujarat, is pioneering a new standard in women’s empowerment, with all eight members of its panchayat, including the sarpanch, being women.

For the last four years, the governance of this village, covering local administration, education, and healthcare, has been entirely in the hands of women, who collaborate to ensure the advantages of government initiatives reach each household.

Rakshaben Gamit, the sarpanch of Chikhalvav, shared with IANS, “In each ward of our village, women take the lead. Women are making administrative choices here. In the anganwadi and healthcare sectors, women manage and supervise operations.”

All key roles, including the primary school, Anganwadi center, ASHA workers, the health center in charge, and the village accountant are filled by women.

With a population of approximately 1,700, most villagers rely on agriculture and animal husbandry for their livelihoods. Nonetheless, the village boasts a high literacy rate and strong involvement in girls' education.

Hetal Patel, the Head Teacher of the primary school, stated, “In our school, girls consistently show their leadership skills and perspectives. During events, the girls of the village collaborate. We continually work together and aim to advance our village with unity.”

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Chikhalvav has gained recognition as a benchmark of women-led development and has been honored as a ‘Samras Gram Panchayat’ on two occasions.

A Samras Gram Panchayat signifies that the sarpanch and all ward members are elected through consensus rather than formal elections, a model encouraged by the Gujarat government to foster harmony in local governance.

Villages under this program receive incentive grants and extra development funds. Recently, the state allocated ₹35 crore to 761 Samras panchayats, promoting smooth administration and community engagement.

The Samras Gram Panchayat initiative has been recognized for fostering unity and accelerating development by circumventing contested elections.

According to government statistics, over 15,500 panchayats in Gujarat have embraced the Samras model in the last twenty years, including 828 women-led panchayats.

The visible leadership of women in Chikhalvav has enhanced community involvement and encouraged families to prioritize girls' education.

Officials assert that these initiatives align with broader state programs, including the Balika Panchayat initiative, which seeks to cultivate leadership abilities among adolescent girls in over 13,000 gram panchayats statewide.

Local residents believe that Chikhalvav’s model serves as a guide for other rural communities striving for inclusive governance and enhanced social development.