Abstract
The equitable participation of women in politics and other democratic institutions is vital for gender parity. From the global to the local level, women's participation in every field is not proportionate to their population. Structural barriers and discriminatory practices hamper women's equal participation in democratic process. This book investigates the presence of women within various institutions across different continents. Furthermore, the volume aims to enhance understanding of the phenomenon of ‘contagious representation’ and how it impinges on women's representation among different institutions in a democratic set-up. To understand contagion or the factors responsible for influencing women's representation, the authors have examined four areas: the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and quotas (both party and national gender quotas) (p. 12).
The study's main hypothesis is that inter-institutional relationships affect opportunities for women in public life. Women's participation in one area affects their participation in other areas. This is a path-breaking book. It uses the novel idea of contagion based on empirical evidence. This work contains case studies and examples of the change in women's participation over time from around the world. The authors have analysed 159 democratic countries for the years 1945–2006 to assess women's participation in democratic institutions and how their representation in one area affects another. The most significant finding is that there is the influence of women's participation in the legislature on women executives as well as on women's judicial representation.
The book provides a useful reference for students, scholars and practitioners pursuing gender studies who wish to understand the different approaches, methods and level of analysis applied to the issue of contagious representation in democratic countries. This work promises a blend of epistemological, empirical and methodological pluralism.
However, the work lacks a holistic account of the case studies covered and it also fails to build a comprehensive theory of contagious representation. It is hard to generalise the findings because the political and administrative milieux in developed and developing countries are diverse and contextual. Contagion, therefore, cannot solely explain what is going on in these countries. Also, the authors are not able to capture women's representation in toto due to strong variation across regions in terms of social, economic and cultural dimensions. However, they do provide a comprehensive account of women in democracies worldwide in a clear and well-written manner.