Background Document - Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy

portional representation in party lists such as in South Africa), and other forms of
electoral reforms that support women’s participation at the local level.
At the same time many discussants pointed out the need for a deeper understanding
of the existing quota models and their impacts. It was pointed out that in
some countries including Pakistan for instance there appeared to be a bias against
those who were elected through quotas – a fact that would be true for other South
Asian countries as well.
A revealing study from Tanzania titled “Why women succeed in local politics”
conducted by Anne Francis (undated) reinforces that in this case the informal factors
that enable women to succeed to political positions cannot be discussed in isolation
from the formal processes.
In Tanzania the local elections are fought on a party basis and in fact the entire
sample of councillors interviewed entered the political arena through the ruling party.
From the research sample it was evident that all the women were long term party
members including the women’s wings. Special seats were considered as a stepping
stone to being a ward councillor, but the study indicated an ambivalence about how
women themselves perceived this affirmative action and whether the special seat
provision in this case was in fact more divisive and disempowering.
Informal factors were also at play with the study indicating that it helped to have
a family member active in a party –however further investigation was needed to reveal
the extent to which women mobilise these contacts for advice, funds or campaign
strategies or simply use them to smoothen the route to power. The study further
hypothesizes that a number of informal factors could be at play in explaining
why women do succeed in local politics – among them activism/leadership in formal
community groups such as church, women’s groups school board, village committees
or economic and self help groups, supportive family and positive role models.
Interestingly in a very different setting in Norway where women entered the
political process in a big way since World War II including at the local level, there
was at least till 1971 a urban-rural divide with lower participation by women in the
countryside where traditional sex role patterns were more firmly entrenched than
in urban areas. Here too at least in the first three decades after World War II family
engagement in politics and role models were factors that contributed to the women’s
success in local politics. 6
As a comparison between women in local politics in South Asia, East Asia and
Pacific regions with that of the south east Asian region indicates women are more
likely to succeed if they have had a longer history of enjoying the right to vote and
participate, enabling political and electoral arrangements including affirmative action.
Participation at the local level would also be related to the social and economic
circumstances under which women live.
While it may be easier for women to enter local politics as compared to national
politics there are also formidable structural and institutional factors that hinder
their participation. This largely emanates from patriarchy being the organisational
principle at home and in the workplace across the world though in different degrees.
Highly patriarchal societies enforce rules, responsibilities and behaviour for women,
6 Means 1973.
“Decentralisation is seen as a key to women’s
participation in local level politics.”
WOMEN IN POLITICS DANISH INSTITUTE FOR PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY PAGE 28