The Politics of Gender & Good Governance in India: A Critical Discourse

Abstract

Within the current development paradigm, one of the main challenges is gender disparity in India. It can take many different forms and is a major factor in determining the lives of most women on the Indian subcontinent. Numerous research studies and works published by international organisations have demonstrated the various dimensions of gender inequality that exist in India. In addition to restricting women's access to opportunities and resources, a lack of gender equality jeopardises the chances for the next generation. On the other hand, democracy, decentralisation, and local governance are inextricably related to each other, in which the role of women is a critical factor. Including women in decision-making roles, access and control, and the use of power and authority are all important aspects of mainstreaming gender in local government. Previous studies have indicated that socio-cultural hurdles that had not been addressed by several reform attempts often resulted in women being elected as "proxies" for their male relatives or preventing them from carrying out their representational roles. In essence, governance comprises the traditions, institutions and processes that determine how power is exercised, how citizens are given a voice, and how decisions are made on issues of public concern. This paper tries to find out factors which are responsible for gender inequality in various institutions and good governance in India. The descriptive and content analytical natures serve as the foundation for this research paper. The present paper is based on secondary data which will be collected from various sources like journals, books, reports, articles, internet etc.