Women, Power, and Property: The Paradox of Gender Equality Laws in India

Women, Power, and Property: The Paradox of Gender Equality Laws in India
ISBN-10
1108870600
ISBN-13
9781108870603
Category
Political Science
Language
English
Published
2020-06-30
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Author
Rachel E. Brulé

Description

Quotas for women in government have swept the globe. Yet we know little about their capacity to upend entrenched social, political, and economic hierarchies. ​Property and Power seeks to explore this issue within the context of India, the world's largest democracy. Brulé uses cutting-edge research design and extensive field research to make connections among political representation, backlash, and economic empowerment. Her findings show that women in government catalyze access to fundamental economic rights: property rights. Women in politics also have the power to support constituent rights at critical junctures, such as marriage negotiations, sparking integrative solutions to intra-household bargaining. Although they can lead to backlash, quotas are essential for enforcement ​of rights. In this groundbreaking study, Brulé shows how quotas can operate as a crucial tool to foster equality and benefit the women they are meant to empower.

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