Democratic governance and gender issues in India

Democratic governance seeks to promote greater participation of marginalised groups within political process, through addressing inequalities associated with gender, class, race, ethnicity, caste, disability, and sexuality among other variables, and greater accountability of governments towards those who have traditionally been excluded from political action. When thinking about the relationship between political participation and gender equality, women in various national contexts continue to face a number of barriers to their political participation. Politics always has been considered as a man dominated area. For centuries women in both developed and developing countries have been excluded from political activities. The legacy of such historical exclusions lives on, with women vastly under –represented in local and national governing bodies In India. The paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with women's participation in national and local policies. It explores not only how women's participation in electoral politics can be increased but also how transformative gender –oriented policies and programmes can be implemented and maintained. Indeed, gender equality and social justice must constitute one of the core pillars of democratic governance.