Political Participation and Women’s Leadership

Abstract

This chapter draws from the author’s work of nine years with elected women leaders across India to analyse the remarkable political journeys of two women, elected as leaders of their gram panchayats. These women navigate the labyrinths of power, gender, caste, class, patriarchy, violence and discrimination to define a new-age leadership that is both conscious and courageous.

They not only deliver basic services to their electorate but also alter power relations and raise critical consciousness regarding rights within their communities. The author argues that women do not have specific biological traits that make them better leaders; rather, their own subordination provides the impetus for social change, which catalyses the transformation of social and political norms around them.