Capability of Elected Women Representatives on Gender Issues

This book deals with the functioning manifested by Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) on Gender Issues in Grassroots Governance. The study shows that indicators of women’s functions range from raising consciousness of women’s issues to changing institutional structures and processes and influencing the governance discourse itself. But they have to perform all these functions amidst several hurdles and problems. The expectations on women politicians are higher; they do not necessarily do so and cannot, because they do not have equal access and control as do men to the means for political participation. To analyse the functioning of women representatives in this context Prof.Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach is used as an analytical framework. This book also gives policy recommendations to make considerable change in the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994 and to institutionalize training for the EWRs.