Governing Women: Women's Political Effectiveness in Contexts of Democratization and Governance Reform

by Anne Marie Goetz (Editor)

Overview

Though the proportion of women in national assemblies still barely scrapes 16% on average, the striking outliers – Rwanda with 49% of its assembly female, Argentina with 35%, Liberia and Chile with new women presidents this year – have raised expectations that there is an upward trend in women’s representation from which we may expect big changes in the quality of governance. But getting women into public office is just the first step in the challenge of creating governance and accountability systems that respond to women’s needs and protect their rights.

Using case studies from around the world, the essays in this volume consider the conditions for effective connections between women in civil society and women in politics, for the evolution of political party platforms responsive to women’s interests, for local government arrangements that enable women to engage effectively, and for accountability mechanisms that answer to women. The book’s argument is that good governance from a gender perspective requires more than more women in politics. It requires fundamental incentive changes to orient public action and policy to support gender equality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135911065
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/13/2009
Series:	Routledge/UNRISD Research in Gender and Development
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	307
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Anne Marie Goetz is a Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, currently on leave and working as an advisor on governance, peace and security to the UN Development Fund for Women. She is the author of five books on the subjects of gender and politics in developing countries, and on accountability reforms.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments. Introduction 1. Governing Women: Will New Public Space for Some Women Make a Difference for All Women? Anne Marie Goetz Section 1: Women’s Civil Society Mobilization 2. Crossing the Lines: Women’s Social Mobilization in Latin America Virginia Bouvier 3. Consequences of Political Liberalization and Socio-Cultural Mobilization for Women in Algeria, Egypt and Jordan Marnia Lazreg 4. Transnational Feminism and Women’s Human Rights: Successes and Challenges of a Political Strategy Brooke A. Ackerly and Bina D’Costa Section 2: Women in Political Competition 5. Women, Political Parties and Social Movements in South Asia Amrita Basu 6. Women and Political Engagement in East-Central Europe Eva Fodor 7. From Political Sidecars to Legislatures: Women and Party Politics in Southern Africa Onalenna Doo Selolwane 8. Political Parties and Gender in Latin America: An Overview of Conditions and Responsiveness Teresa Sacchet Section 3: Decentralization and Gender Equality 9. Decentralizing Government and De-centering Gender: Lessons from Local Government Reform in South Africa Jo Beall 10. Women in Local Government in India Jana Everett 11. Who Speaks For Whom? Women and the Politics of Presence in Uganda’s Local Governance Josephine Ahikire Section 4: Gender Equality and Good Governance 12. Governing Women or Enabling Women to Govern: Gender and the Good Governance Agenda Anne Marie Goetz 13. Public Administration Reform and Women in Decision Making in China Jie Du 14. Ruling Out Gender Equality? The Post-Cold War Rule of Law Agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa Celestine Nyamu-Musembi. Contributors. Index.