Power vs. representation: feminist dilemmas, ambivalent state and the debate on reservation for women in India

Abstract

"Democratisation and representative institutions while setting the terms for citizen's participation, also provide the framework for political activity. Inequalities that characterise our social structure and qualify the notion of 'political equality' are an important part of any agenda for democratisation. The agenda of the women's movement spans the entire range of issues from the redistribution of resources, time and responsibilities at home, to changes in the electoral process, parliamentary democracy, representation and women's political engagement with democratic institutions. The social agenda hidden in the demand for political representation of women and the larger struggle for equalising opportunities continues to pose a challenge to institutions of democracy. The process of democratisation has been resisted by the changing dynamics of class, caste and gender relations pursuing their different and at times conflicting interests.