GENDER AND GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE: WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN INDIA IN COMPARISON WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

Abstract

This article examines women’s political participation in local self-government in India and compares it with selected South Asian neighbors—Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bhutan. Using a mixed, desk-based comparative approach, it maps constitutional and statutory quota frameworks, participation levels, and early evidence on policy outcomes. India’s 73rd/74th Constitutional Amendments (1992–93) catalyzed a dramatic rise in women’s representation, with approximately 46% of elected local representatives now women, supported by state-level 50% reservations in most states/UTs. Nepal’s 2015 Constitution and subsequent electoral laws delivered roughly 41% women across local roles (2017, 2022), while Sri Lanka’s 25% local-level quota, Pakistan’s province-specific arrangements following the 2001 devolution reforms, Bangladesh’s reserved seats at the Union Parishad level, and the Maldives’ 33% local quota show varied but significant institutional designs. Bhutan, without legislated quotas, continues to show low female representation at the local executive level. The paper situates these developments within theories of descriptive, substantive and symbolic representation, and discusses persistent constraints (party gate keeping, “proxy” leadership, capacity gaps) alongside documented gains (infrastructure and social service investments, changing aspirations). It concludes with policy recommendations on quota design, candidate pipelines, party reforms, and institutional supports to translate presence into power.