What determines quota-elected women’s political empowerment in India and Bangladesh? A comparative perspective

Abstract This comparative case study compares the facilitating factors that promote quota-elected women’s political empowerment in local-level politics, in the Gram Panchayat in India and the Union Parishad in Bangladesh. It reveals that gender quotas do not spontaneously promote women’s political empowerment. Rather, women’s political empowerment depends on a number of institutional and political factors – gender quotas with provisions, party affiliation and political experience; socio-economic and cultural factors – education and training, labor force participation, and religion; and individual-oriented factors – civic duty and political ambitions, honesty, sincerity, and good behavior, and forming coalitions with other members. The findings show that these facilitating factors do not have an equal impact on quota-elected women in India and Bangladesh. The study thus offers a new direction for research on the enablers of quota-elected women’s political empowerment examining the determinants of women’s representation in politics.