Women in politics: An analysis of Women Representation in State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim

Abstract

Gender equality in politics is still a distant reality across the globe, with only one-third of the countries exceeding the global target of 30 per cent women’s representation in legislative bodies. The under-representation of women in national parliaments, therefore, poses a problem in terms of both the practice and the theory of politics. In practical terms, the under-representation of women in political leadership is even more remarkable when one realises that women have succeeded in gaining access to other sectors of society in many countries. Moreover, equality between men and women is now a leading political principle across the globe. Taking part in decision-making however, in politics as well as in the private sector, typically remains a male privilege. As far as women is concerned, very few of them hold leadership roles in decision-making processes. This unfortunate reality holds true especially at the national and state levels and Sikkim is no exception to this. It is in this backdrop, this paper seeks to study the representation of women in politics in Sikkim and to shed light on the reason of low representation. Besides, the author also seeks to provide strategic and practical recommendations for advancing women’s representation at all levels in the decision-making process.