Women in India: Political Participation and Empowerment

Ms. Shakila Hegde1

Dr V. Basil Hans2
Abstract

The most valuable resource of a country is the human resource and the most vulnerable of it are the
women. Woman as a social construct needs improved avenues of participation and progress.
Grooming women leadership is at the centre of political participation of women. Today, one
of the issues of concern in development and governance is the (low) level of women’s
participation in political life. Enabling processes must consider political potential of women
for collective and concerted growth. World over, the growth of feminism and globalism have
contributed to new debates on roles, resources and rights of women.

Growing political awareness is also evident, particularly through recent amendments to laws
of representation. However, in India with patriarchal patterns still prevalent, kitchen is still
the avenue of encouragement for most women. Extensive and lucrative opportunities of
qualitative growth are still elusive for them. An assured way of empowering women is to
ensure their better political participation with democratic values. Good governance in polity
needs good response and representation of women in decision-making.

Despite various policy initiatives of gender equity executed by the government of India,
certain constraints and challenges still haunt us: lethargy in mobilising women power in
politics, increasing crimes and violence on women, lack of faith in the ability of women,
educational disparities, pressure of dual responsibilities and so on. These issues need to be
addressed for the sake of political and economic growth in general and women empowerment
in particular.

In the light of this situation, our paper tries to focus on the political participation of women
and its impact on the process of women empowerment by examining conceptual and policy
perspectives in this regard. The paper also discusses alternative strategies to enhance quality
leadership, and to ensure good governance through women's participation.

Keywords: Empowerment, equity, India, participative, political, women

1
Lecturer in Political Science, St Aloysius Evening College, Mangalore – 575 003. Email:
shakilahegde@yahoo.co.in
2
Associate Professor & HOD of Economics, St Aloysius Evening College, Mangalore – 575 003. Email:
vhans2011@gmail.com