MWG-010

Women and Political

Process
Indira Gandhi National Open University
School of Gender and Development Studies

WOMEN AND POLITICAL PROCESS

BLOCK 1 FEMINISM AND THE POLITICAL 9
UNIT 1 Conventional Understanding of the Political 11
UNIT 2 Feminist Perspectives of Political 21

BLOCK 2 RE-TRACING HISTORY 35

UNIT 1 Women’s Issues in 19th Century 37
UNIT 2 Women’s Political Participation in Early 49
20th Century
UNIT 3 Women and Partition 69
UNIT 4 Constitutional Debates 80

BLOCK 3 WOMEN’S AGENCY IN POST-INDEPENDENCE 99

INDIA
UNIT 1A Women’s Political Rights and Political 101
Institutions
UNIT 1B Women’s Political Rights and Political
Institutions 123
UNIT 2 Women’s Movements in Contemporary India I 141
UNIT 3 Women’s Movements in Contemporary India II 151
UNIT 4 Women’s Equality: Formal and Substantive 168

BLOCK 4 WOMEN AND ELECTORAL PROCESS 183

UNIT 1 Electoral Systems and Political Parties 185
UNIT 2 Women and Elections I 208
UNIT 3 Women and Elections II 231
UNIT 4 Issues and Representation and Governance 249

BLOCK 5 WOMEN AND POLITICAL CONFLICT 273

UNIT 1 Caste, Community and Violence Against 275
Women
UNIT 2 Religious Identity Politics 295
UNIT 3 Women in Conflict Zones 307
UNIT 4 Human Rights and State Repression 321

BLOCK 6 POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT 335

UNIT 1 Re-visiting Power and Decision Making 337
UNIT 2 Issues of Leadership Revisited 357
UNIT 3 Profiles and Struggles 373
Programme Design and Course Development
External Members
Prof. (Late) Meenakshi Dr. Uma Chakravarti Prof. Samita Sen
Mukherjee New Delhi Jadavpur University
Secunderabad Prof. Vibhuti Patel Kolkata

Prof. Mary John SNDT Women’s University Prof. Sanjay Srivastav

Centre for Women and Mumbai University of Delhi Enclave,
Development Studies Prof. Sanjukta Sengupta New Delhi
New Delhi Calcutta University Prof. Regina Papa
Prof. Malashri Lal Kolkata Alagappa University
University of Delhi, Delhi Ms. C. P. Sujaya Tamil Nadu

Prof. R. Raj Rao GOI, New Delhi Prof. Poonam Dhawan

University of Pune, Pune Prof. Gopa Bhardwaj University of Jammu
University of Delhi Jammu
Prof. Usha Nayyar
TINNARI, Gurgaon Delhi Dr. Brinda Bose
Dr. Ananda Amritmahal University of Delhi, Delhi
Dr. Anuradha Marwah,
Zakir Hussain College Sophia College for Women Dr. Bijoylaxmi Nanda
University of Delhi, Delhi Mumbai Miranda House
Dr. Renu Addlakha University of Delhi, Delhi
Mr. Kiran Bhairannavar
University of Delhi, Delhi Centre for Women and Dr. Kiron Bansal
Development Studies IGNOU, New Delhi
Prof. Vibhuti Patel New Delhi
SNDT, Mumbai
Prof. Parvin Sinclair
Prof. Bidyut Mohanty IGNOU, New Delhi
Institute for Social
Sciences, New Delhi Prof. Anu Aneja
IGNOU, New Delhi
Dr. Krishna Menon, LSR,
Delhi University Prof. Savita Singh
IGNOU, New Delhi
Dr. Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Independent Researcher. Prof. Annu J. Thomas
IGNOU,New Delhi
Dr. Seema Kazi, Senior
Fellow and Associate Dr. Nilima Srivastava
Professor. IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. Sadhna Arya,Satyawati Dr. Himadri Roy

Collage, University of Delhi IGNOU, New Delhi

Prof. Debal K. SinghaRoy Dr. Sunita Dhal

SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. Nasreen Chowdhory Dr. G.Uma

University of Delhi IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. Ashok Acharya Dr. Smita M.Patil

University of Delhi IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. Shubhangi Vaidya

IGNOU, New Delhi
Dr. Nilima Srivastava
IGNOU, New Delhi

Programme Coordinators: MAWGS: Prof. Anu Aneja and Dr. Nilima Srivastava
Course Coordinator: Smita M. Patil

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Contributors
Block 1: Block 3: Block 5:
Krishna Menon Mandakini Pant Smita M. Patil
Ilina Sen Sabiha Hussain
Block 2:
Vibhuti Patel Manjrika Sewak
Archna Verma
Angha Tambe Flavia Agnes
Block 6:
Swati Dyahadroy Block 4:
Flavia Agnes Mandakini Pant
Rakesh K. Singh
Sanil M.N.
Mandakini Pant

Editors
Content Editing Language Editing
Krishna Menon Karuna Rajeev
In House Editing: Dr. Nilima Srivastava and Dr. Smita M. Patil

Unit Transformation:
Dr. Smita M. Patil

Cover Design
Dr. Lakshaman Prasad, Faculty SOPVA, IGNOU.

Acknowledgements:
Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor, SOGDS
Director, SOGDS and faculty of SOGDS for administrative and academic support.
STRIDE faculty for their valuable assistance with format editing.
Lakshaman Prasad, Faculty SOPVA, IGNOU.

Disclaimer: Any materials and images adapted from printed and web-based resources
in this self-learning course material are being used for educational purposes only and
not for commercial purposes.

Production Team
Mr. S. Burman Mr. K.N. Mohanan
Asst. Registrar (Publication) Section Officer (Publication)
MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi

February, 2015
 Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2015
ISBN:978-81-266-6856-4
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph
or any other means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open
University.
Further information on the Indira Gandhi National Open University courses may be obtained
from the University's office at Maidan Garhi, New Delhi.
Printed and published on behalf of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi by
Registrar, MPDD.
University Authorities: Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor, SOGDS, and Registrar, MPDD.
Laser Typeset by Tessa Media & Computers, C-206, A.F.E.-II, Okhla, New Delhi.
Printed at:

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
MWG-010 ‘Women and Political Process’

The Indian democracy is one of the largest democracies in the world. In

2014 the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) became the single majority party
after a long coalition politics. The major political parties at national and
regional levels collapsed in the election of 2014.Although the number of
women’s representation increased in the 2014 elections, the women’s
reservation bill is yet to be passed.

There has been a historical, social exclusion of women In Indian polity. The
73rd and 74th Amendments brought out the major changes at the grass
roots level and built up consciousness among the women in governance. The
question remains to be answered that how much democratic space is left
for the women in the society. This Course will bring out the debates arising
from feminist positions on the emergence of the western political thought.
It would explain the contribution of Indian feminists from nineteenth century
and women’s political participation in the nationalist movement. We will
also discuss the partition of India by locating women’s roles andthe impact
of partition on the lives of women. Further, it examines participation and
assertion for their rights such as women’s employment, wages, and land
rights in contemporary India. The role of the civil society also plays major
role. It engages with state initiatives that enable women’s political agency.
We will analyze the constitutional provisions/ legislations, policies, and
programs and also study the model of equality under the Indian Constitution
and the manner in which the courts have expanded the notion of substantive
equality for women.

The Course will also explain the electoral laws, systems, and the political
processes. For instance, how political parties’ function, in what ways they
transform and so on. We will study the political representation in national
and state elections, women’s participation and the question of women’s
representation, women in the decision-making bodies, the social forces that
restrict their political mobility and how the legal framework for women’s
representation in Panchayatand Municipal elections helps to empower women.
Full involvement and equal participation of women in electoral processes
is essential to bring out peace and democracy and advance the equality of
women and men.

This Course analyzes the debates on caste, community and violence against
women from the gender perspective. Our efforts are to understand the
caste hierarchy that determines society and examine how it regulates gender
relations in Indian society. The ideology of caste also structures forms of
violence on women through rape, honour killing and so on. On the other

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hand, it reflects on the ideas of religious, identity politics, how it is
constructed in the day-to-day lifenamely via the politics of domination and
the politics of resistance.We will also engage with the experiences of women
who live in ‘conflict zones’. How do they discuss the perspectives of women
to end violence and build peace and explore strategies to increase their
participation in peace processes?Thus, the Course analyzes the diverse and
paradoxical modes of state through it’s impact on individual and community.
At the same time, it discusses how it impacts the social world of women.

The agency of women is inextricably linked to social spaces of women. The

form of policy instruments, legal frameworks, and support programmes are
emerging and providing opportunities for citizens (women) to engage in
decision-making processes. In this process, we need to understand power
and configurations of power in order to change power relations and to make
them more inclusive, just and pro-poor. If power can change, then
empowerment of women is possible. It would help us to develop the category
of leadership. We will reflect on some of the fundamental debates about
leadership, its ideology and practice, and the plural debates that have
emerged around the notion of leadership. Thus, the question of leadership
will be explored through the roles of women leaders who have emerged in
Indian society. We will also discuss the forms of leadership that question
gender and social stratifications through their profile, examine the struggles
which inspire us to engage with Indian polity.

Block I: Feminism and the Political

In this Block, we will investigate the historical and contextual underpinnings

of the notion of the political in the tradition of western political theory. It
also examines the categories of state, individual and citizenship. It begins
with an introduction to the notion of the ‘political’ that is ingrained within
Greek thought. We will then discuss the medieval, political thought that
linked the political to notions of power and force, and how it was detached
from the realm of ethics. We will then examine the debates on the modern
understanding of the political and conclude with the feminist departure
from these readings. We will interrogate how the manner in which the
capitalist modernity impact the lives of women. How does it structure the
notions of private and political in the context of women? What is the
position of liberal feminists on the idea of the political? Does it privilege
a few and exclude the others? How do women experience patriarchy in the
private and public sphere? Block 1 will seek to respond to some of these
questions.

Block II: Re-tracing History

This Block analyses women’s issues in India in the 19th century and 20th
century. We will study the multiple diversities and the different approaches

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and perspectives in the reform movement. The early 20th century saw a
remarkable spurt in women’s political participation in India. These were the
times of political turmoil shaped by the nationalist movements against
colonial rule and by the British promise of new political powers to Indians.
Women became a significant force in these struggles with the rise of
educational opportunities. The partition of India which witnessed violence,
emotional upheaval and devastation and ultimately led to the formation of
two-new nation states. We will briefly review of the Constitutional debates,
and the Constitutional scheme of protections and checks and balances.
Finally, we examine how women were able to influence the Constitutional
debates and the role of women’s organizations played in framing the
Constitutional mandate of equality, freedom and liberty.

Block III: Women’s Agency in Post-Independence India

In this Block, we will study the institutions which comprise the sets of
formal and informal rules that shape people’s perception, their needs and
roles. Political institutions refer to the recognized structure of rules and
principles. They deal with political organizations such as the state, its laws
and enforcement of law. Thus, they also mediate the policies and provide
representation for the people. The ‘civil society’enables women’s political
agency.The vibrant women’s movements with linkages to South Asian women’s
movementhave evolved through placing demands, as well as maintaining a
critical distance from the state. We will also look at the different, ideological
trends and critically evaluate the important debates in the women’s
movement. The Indian Constitution ensures the equality of all and special
efforts have been made by Constitutional provisions to bring the substantive
equality for women.

Block IV: Women and Electoral Process

In this Block, we will explain the electoral laws, systems, and processes.
It also describes the political parties, their functions and evolution. We will
look at political representation in national and state elections, women’s
participation and the question of women’s representation. It also maps the
ways in which the equal participation of women in electoral processes is
instrumental in building peace and democracy, and leads to the equality of
women and men. You also would gain a vivid understanding on women’s
participation as voters, representatives, and contestants in parliamentary
elections in India and the main barriers for women participation and the
image of women politician.

Several discourses, procedures, structures and functions of governance are,

in general, heavily skewed in favour of men. Missing women in governance
processes is indicative of the fact that public decision-making processes
have not actually addressed women’s strategic needs. Women need to be

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seen as agents of change, as members of the public and participants in
economic, social and political action. Hence, one of the central questions
is that of engendering governance. We will draw attention to the factors
responsible for non-participation of women in the decision-making processes;
track the concerns to mainstream gender and highlight the policy measures
towards engendering governance institutionally in the domain of state. We
shall analyse the effectiveness of reserved seats in enabling agency of
women elected representatives in local self-governance institutions and the
issues in the agency of women leadership therein. Finally, we shall
criticallyassess the relevance of ‘quota’ in addressing issues of women’s
representation in governance.

Block V: Women and Political Conflict

This Block will analyze the debates on caste, community and violence
against women from the gender perspective. We will examine the caste
system in India from a gendered perspective and how it divides the society.
The structural violence which has different forms such as rape, honour
killings is demonstrated through case studies that reflect the intersection
of caste, community and violence. Religious identity politics and its
construction will be interrogated through the politics. At the same time,
the women who live in conflict zones and their experience of state repression
would be spelt out in this Block.

Block VI: Political Empowerment

The last Block of this Course would investigate the question of ‘women’s
agency’ through various modes such as policies, legal framework and
supportprogrammes. We will ask whether these opportunities are engaging
women in decision-making processes. We will look at how the power
relationship shapes the life of women and how empowerment of women is
possible. Further, the Block will help us to engage with the category of
leadership and its debates. This Block will acquaint us with the profiles and
struggles of the women to achieve leadership, significant for the political
empowerment of women in India. We hope that after completing this Course,
you would have acquired a sound conceptual basis to articulate the plural
ways ofengendering the political process.

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