Name: Shekhar Suman
Current academic status: PhD Research Scholar
Institution: VIT University, Chennai
Research area: Women’s political participation, Panchayati Raj Institutions, women’s empowerment and grassroots governance
Research region: Bihar, India

PhD Research Topic:
“Elected Women Representatives of Bihar in Local Governance: An Assessment and Analysis of Political Participation and Empowerment.”

Research Focus

Your doctoral research focuses on elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of Bihar, particularly their:

• Political participation
• Functioning and performance
• Decision-making
• Leadership
• Political agency
• Empowerment
• Experiences and challenges
• Participation in grassroots governance
• Influence of social, economic, educational and intersectional factors

Your research population includes elected women representatives such as Mukhiya, Ward Members, Sarpanch, Panch and other women representatives within Bihar’s Panchayati Raj system.

Theoretical Orientation

The major theoretical perspectives/frameworks you have considered for your research include:

1. Kabeer’s Empowerment Framework
2. Political Self-Efficacy Theory / Bandura
3. Intersectionality – Kimberlé Crenshaw
4. Politics of Presence – Anne Phillips
5. Critical Mass Theory
6. Gender Role Theory

Research Methodology Interests

You have been developing a mixed-methods research approach, combining:

• Quantitative questionnaire-based research
• Measurement of women’s political participation and empowerment
• Assessment of functioning/performance of elected women representatives
• Structured interviews
• In-depth qualitative interviews
• Questions concerning personal experiences, challenges and political agency

You have also been exploring existing scales and measurement instruments that can be adapted to assess the functioning, performance, participation and empowerment of elected women Panchayat representatives.

Broader Academic Interests

Your academic interests extend to:

• Women’s political participation
• Panchayati Raj and local self-governance
• Women’s empowerment
• Gender and governance
• SDG 5 – Gender Equality
• Bihar governance and rural development
• Grassroots democracy
• Political representation and agency
• Gender policy
• Intersectionality and marginalized women
• Women’s participation in local governance