History of Panchayats

• Panchayats have existed since ancient times. Literally, a panchayat (from Sanskrit pañca, "five") consists of five members, but usually has more. It oversees areas village life, including agriculture, health, social welfare and public works. Among the changes in the policy revisions of 1992 was the dictum that 33 percent of the panchayat seats be held by women.
  
  

Risks of Motherhood

• Worldwide, the majority of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. In these regions, pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death for women between the ages of 15-49.
  
  

Mortality Rates in India

• Every year in India, about 78,000 mothers die in childbirth and from pregnancy complications, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). This is 450 deaths per 100,000 live births; in contrast, China's mortality and morbidity rates are below 50 per 100,000.
  
  

Involving the Panchayat

• The panchayats, which operate on a village level, offer an opportunity for citizens to bring their ideas and concerns directly to those who can make changes on the local level that will address the deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth.
  
  

Safe Motherhood Goals

• India's Millennium Development Goals include reducing the perinatal mortality to 109 per 100,000 by 2015. Panchayats are creating programs to meet this goal, including: local birthing centers with trained birth attendants; youth advocacy programs to spread information about pregnancy and birthing care; and increased funding for transportation to get women to the centers for prenatal and antenatal care.