Publication

This paper assesses the claim that decentralization is an important vehicle for increasing women’s representation and political participation. The authors argue that when local government is impervious to progressive social change, it may be an unreliable site for the pursuit of gender equity, particularly in contexts where women are making gains within the formal institutions of the state. The paper finds that the effective involvement of women in local governance is predicated both on the approach adopted by political parties and on how women are organized at the local level.