• DOI:10.1177/097152159800500103
• Corpus ID: 36735582

Transformative Politics

@article{Sharma1998TransformativeP,
  title={Transformative Politics},
  author={Kamalesh Sharma},
  journal={Indian Journal of Gender Studies},
  year={1998},
  volume={5},
  pages={23 - 47}
}

• K. Sharma
• Published 1 March 1998
• Political Science
• Indian Journal of Gender Studies

This article explores how affirmative actions to increase the political representation of women in India have been translated into actual practice. The introduction defines the issue and notes that the struggle of Indian women involves a wide spectrum of issues and that, while there was scant controversy over the enactment of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments that reserved a third of seats for women in local governing bodies, the 81st Constitutional Amendment, which attempted to do the same for the national governing bodies, has stalled. Next, the article reviews the debate on reservation that has occupied the women's movement for more than 70 years and notes that the 73rd Amendment led to increased debate on the possibilities, problems, and efficacy of quotas for women. The article continues by tracing the history of India's "little republics," or "panchayats," and by describing 1) women's participation in panchayats, 2) special problems encountered in the tribal areas, and 3) women's experiences after passage of the 73rd amendment. It is concluded that, since political power will remain meaningless until inequalities are resolved, the important question is whether affirmative action will bring about the required redistribution of power and resources. This article argues that the 73rd Amendment has precipitated important changes in the democratic process but that women must exceed the "numbers game" to achieve larger goals.