Author: Dr. Ajija Sultana
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020400033
Abstract: Gender equality and democratic governance depend on women’s involvement in political leadership. Despite significant progress in women’s political representation across the world, women leaders continue to face structural, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers rooted in patriarchal systems. With a focus on patriarchal norms, gender stereotypes, restricted access to political resources, political violence, and media bias, this article explores the difficulties faced by women in political leadership. The report contends that while women’s numerical participation has increased due to laws like gender quotas and reservation systems, true political empowerment is still hampered by deeply ingrained patriarchal power structures. Stronger support systems for female leaders, cultural change, and institutional improvements are all necessary to address these issues. It is commonly acknowledged that women’s growing involvement in political institutions is a major step toward gender equality and democratic inclusivity. Nonetheless, a number of institutional, cultural, and structural obstacles still prevent women representatives from effectively participating in political decision-making. The main political obstacles faced by female legislators are examined in this article, including media prejudice, gender-based discrimination, patriarchal norms, restricted access to political resources, and safety concerns.It also addresses how these issues affect democratic government and suggests ways to increase women’s political engagement. The study contends that although genderinclusive policies and legislative quotas have increased numerical representation, deeper sociocultural hurdles and institutional injustices must be addressed in order to achieve true political empowerment.
Keywords: Women Representatives, Gender And Politics, Political Participation, Democratic Representation, Gender Inequality.
Page No: 244-249