Gender and Comparative Politics: Political Representation in Asia

Abstract

This article aims to understand the trend of ubiquitous gender exclusion in politics in the Asian context by analysing women’s political representation and exploring the possibility of employing it as a frame for gendering the discipline of comparative politics. Political representation is a significant marker of women’s empowerment or the lack of it, and gender crosscutting all dimensions of political inquiry provides an efficient framework of analysis. Gender-based analysis of women’s political representation from Asia offers a new perspective emerging from the specificities of its context. The discussions highlight how, despite adopting specific provisions of gender quotas in politics, Asian societies have not witnessed substantial gains in overall women’s empowerment as participatory exclusion continues to remain a norm.