Policy frameworks are set to include women in the political process for empowering women, and enhancing rural development, and national development as a whole. Over the years public policies have been made, and revised to mandatorily include women for their participation at the local government levels.
Women by and large compete in the national and local elections and contest with their male counterparts.
The success of women representatives in terms of inclusion is noteworthy. However, their decision-making is influenced by their relatives and elderly in society rather than by their own.
Legal support for women’s participation in local government
The government has created the opportunity for women’s participation through the local government for both a constitutional obligation and women’s empowerment.
Local government is enshrined in the constitution and supported by different acts.
Local government is entrusted with the responsibility of adopting effective measures to bring about a radical transition in the rural areas through the promotion of an agricultural revolution.
Likewise, others include the provision of rural electrification, the development of cottage and other industries, and the improvement of education, communications and public health, in those areas, so as progressively to remove the disparity in the standards of living between the urban and the rural areas.
It is evident that all women mayors at paurasasha levels are highly educated, have a strong political family background, or have influence in society.
Women are assigned to contribute to those important tasks. There are three tiers of local government at the rural level, Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, Zilla parishad and City Corporations & Paurasavas at an urban level where women representatives can play a vital role.
There are 29 women Chairman out of 492, 492 women vice-chairman, and 982 counselors at city corporations are currently represented in local government.
Decision about entering into politics
It is evident that kinship, extended kinship formed with elderly people of the surrounding, dominant religious values, political culture, male dominant societal approach, male dominant working culture, and extrinsic and intrinsic quality of women greatly influence their decision-making process.
Family plays an important role in women’s participation in the political process. Family heredity of political affiliation, particularly the political involvement of the father, brother, and husband force women to take part in the political process.
It is an obvious case for first-time entry into politics for women. The shift from housewife to public domain starts with a shaky move and makes vibrant quickly if the father’s involvement is very significant in society because of his position.
Apart from the family association in politics, women particularly divorced, widow retired officials step into politics because of the request from villagers and well-wishers. Involvement in student politics pushes them to take part in the election.
Some sudden incidences, for example, the demise of the father, husband, and brother also force them to come into politics.
In spite of previous political experience, participation in elections, in some cases, lingers because of their male family members are active in politics or in an elected position.
Thus, the decision of entering politics and contest the election is highly gender-biased, reactive and male-driven.
The reason is the total environment favors men and choosing a leader from men is a long-practiced tradition and infused by religious beliefs.
Thus, the decision to participate in politics is highly influenced by not only close kinship but also extended kinship.
It is conspicuous from the research findings that political parties also lack confidence in women and fear losing in a competition that compels them to non-selection of candidature in some positions including Mayorsip where male counterparts have a strong and long political active role.
The fact is that all three major political party heads are women and women leaders lead the country for the last three decades.
However, society is dominated by males, and decisions are also influenced by male-dominated culture and norms.
Once women are in politics and active in the election, the process of involvement requires multiple activities, such as seeking the nomination, campaigning, budgeting for the election campaign, and arranging meetings, which are dominated by male members of their families.
They need support from other local people too. However, decisions are made by male family members, especially for financial management. Here, undermining the notion of the incapability of women serves as a strong basis to evade women in the decision-making process.
Considering the environment, women also don’t arguably contest these decisions or they surrender because of male domination.
Political rivalry, fears of division among followers, guardianship concept of males over women matter significantly.
Whatever the reason behind the decision-making for participation in politics, women’s participation increased significantly with a positive notion about women’s active role in local and national development.
Women representatives contribute to developing a plan, practicing village courses, distributing reliefs, and selecting beneficiaries of social safety net programs.
The involvement of women in the public sphere out of their confined houses is seen as a big step in women’s development with a positive effect on other women in society.
However, culturally politics is a business of man that does not create grounds for encouraging females to increase in politics.
It is evident that without a push, women do not want to come forward and only mandatory provision ensures their involvement.
If they don’t step up willingly, it lacks their active involvement at all levels and lessens contribution.
The purpose of creating options seems less effective and produces an insignificant role in empowering women.
However, only pushing women may not be applicable to playing roles actively, rather women themselves need to realize the necessity of empowerment and act accordingly.
Decision-making while in a position
Relatively naïve in politics particularly at the lower tier of local government, fewer in number, simplicity in behavior accompanied by family responsibility of women representatives keep them backward.
They prefer or are forced to prefer family responsibilities to active participation in performing responsibilities entrusted with their positions.
Male representatives and male union secretaries sometimes sideline female representatives while taking decisions for development activities.
Researchers found that decisive meetings are held at an odd times so that females feel discouraged to attend the meeting.
Male representatives utilized the extended kinship to influence females saying that they would take care of her share and activities.
At the Upazila level, the woman vice-chairman holds the hierarchical second position and all development committee heads are male chairmen and thus vice-chairman’s involvement seems ornamental.
Mandatory provision of women’s participation may ensure the inclusion of women in political participation, especially in local government, active participation through engagement in the decision-making process requires women’s intrinsic urge and self-motivation while society can promote a women-friendly environment.
Women representatives at paurshavas and city corporations are relatively active in performing activities which helps them take part in the decision-making process.
However, in terms of development activities, women representatives are bypassed. Family members, males, in particular, influence women representatives to involve them.
Even the elder son sometimes takes the lead. However, when a woman holds the Mayorship, she has sole authority to take a decision.
It is evident that all women mayors at paurasasha levels are highly educated, have a strong political family background, or have influence in society.
It means competence and a strong personality infused in socio-political environment matter to take a decision and their decision-making process is less or not influenced by kinship.
Male dominant environment-a nexus of male chairman, members and secretaries, and some vested politicians- disfavors women and dismays to actively participate in all activities of local government.
It is reportedly found that the chairman and secretary also misbehave with women representatives at the union level.
As women are a minority at the union and Upazila level, it inhibits active participation too. The areas where women are sidelined include the management of resources and planning of local development at all levels.
Conclusion and way forward
Social and administrative hierarchy and social and political values are heavily influential factors in taking the decision of women representatives where social hierarchy and values are created and dominated by close and extended kinship.
Only mandatory provision ensures women’s role play strongly, for example, any decision relating to women, is precisely talked about the inclusion of women in the committee.
Little room for voice-raising, bargaining and negotiation in decision making creates because of the dominance of close kinship (family members) or extended kinship (Upazila chairman and other political leaders).
Civil Society, NGOs and academics have a significant role in shaping the role and involvement of female representatives through publishing research articles, writing opinions and commentaries in dailies, and organizing seminars, and workshop with all possible stakeholders.
Mandatory provision of women’s participation may ensure the inclusion of women in political participation, especially in local government, active participation through engagement in the decision-making process requires women’s intrinsic urge and self-motivation while society can promote a women-friendly environment.
The influence of kinship over women in the local government makes less active of women in decision-making which hinders real women empowerment.
And they become more ornamental and lose the courage to involve in politics and development activities as well.
The total situation hinders local development and thus leads to low response of women representatives in the time of need. It is evident that women’s participation is found less active or inactive during the coronavirus pandemic.
Civil Society, NGOs and academics have a significant role in shaping the role and involvement of female representatives through publishing research articles, writing opinions and commentaries in dailies, and organizing seminars, and workshop with all possible stakeholders.
Their findings create a positive change in society and help the government to reinforce the policy bindings through the involvement of public representatives.
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