Does Inclusion Matter? Women in Governing Institutions in South Asia

Abstract

This chapter provides a comparative account, identifying the policies and strategies different countries in the South Asian region have adopted to include the ‘excluded’—women—in three governing institutions. It explains the reasons underlying the trend in increase in representation and identifies factors that are likely to impede mainstreaming gender in different institutions of governance. Different country chapters reveal that the rate of increase in representation can be seen as uneven, with some countries progressing at a much faster rate than others, notwithstanding the fact that they have adopted similar policies. This chapter examines the factors that account for these differences. It also provides a comparative account of the way men and women in different institutions of governance look upon each other and define inter-role relationships. Reference has been made to the way women in different countries try to balance home and outside roles.