Women in Politics in the Global South
Panel: RC07.01
13-07-2025 11:00 UTC+9 (1 hour 45 minutes) 
Convenor: Dr. Swarna Rajagopalan
Chair: Dr. Tuseku Dieudonné Tumba
Discussants: Prof. Dianne Pinderhughes
Rapporteur: Priyanka Patra

Overview
 
The panel "Women in Politics in the Global South" featured a diverse range of presentations that critically examined women's participation in politics across multiple arenas, including campus activism, social movements, formal parliamentary politics, and informal political practices. The papers offered both empirical and theoretical insights, drawing on case studies from countries across the Global South, including India, China, and the Philippines. These comparative perspectives analysed the nature of women's political agency, shaped by intersecting factors such as gender, class, caste, and regional political cultures.
The session generated dynamic and thought-provoking discussions, fostering meaningful dialogue among the presenters, discussants, and audience members. Participants engaged with each other’s work in a collegial yet critical manner, raising pertinent questions about the methodological, epistemological, and political dimensions of researching women’s political participation. The discussant provided nuanced and constructive feedback on each paper, highlighting both their contributions and areas for further development. The Chair skillfully facilitated the session, ensuring an inclusive discussion that allowed for a rich exchange of ideas.

Violence and Vulgarity: Female politicians and public servants under fire
Prof. Cleo Anne Calimbahin

Professor Calimbahin’s paper gave critical insight into the growing political culture of violence against women, public servants, and elected officials in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. Within the larger context of President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial populist rule, the paper attempted to bring to the fore the issue of erasing women as political actors. Using the framework of semiotic violence, it interrogated dominant male populism as a threat to the legitimacy and accountability of democratic institutions.

Beyond Quotas: The Political, Social, and Economic Marginalization of Women in Indian Politics
Author Dr Sumant Kumar

Dr. Kumar’s presentation critically examined the limitations of gender-based quotas in addressing women’s political marginalisation. Despite the progressive intent of the Women’s Reservation Bill, he argued that factors such as patriarchal norms, gender-based violence, cultural constraints, economic dependency, and limited political awareness have hindered women’s effective participation in parliamentary politics. His findings noted a rise in women’s engagement in non-voting political activities—such as rallies and campaigns—without corresponding influence on policymaking. He emphasized the compounded impact of class, caste, and gender, underscoring the need for structural reforms and an inclusive political culture. The presentation concluded with a call to develop an enabling ecosystem that fosters women’s political capabilities and agency.

Investigating the Hyperfeminisation of Women Politicians: The Madonna-Whore Binary in Indian Politics
Ms. Soumya Mathew

Mathew’s paper traces the historical and contemporary perceptions of women political leaders in India, highlighting how they are framed within the Madonna–Whore complex. Through case studies of leaders such as Mamata Banerjee (Didi), Mayawati (Behenji), Jayalalithaa (Amma), as well as Smriti Irani, Kangana Ranaut, and Sonia Gandhi, she illustrates how women navigate this binary to maintain political relevance. These leaders strategically align their public personas with prevailing cultural expectations shaped by misogyny, caste, religion, and tradition. Mathew observes that the glorification of hyperfemininity, relational political branding, and the disaggregation of gender from intersecting identities are central to how women in Indian politics are perceived and represented.

Redefining Political Priorities: The Shift toward Female-Centric Policies in India
Ms. Sheefa Kasar

Kasar examined the rise of women-centric policies in Indian politics since 2009, highlighting a strategic shift in electoral campaigns that increasingly recognize the political significance of women voters. This recalibration has influenced party agendas and manifestos, reflecting a broader prioritization of women in governance. Kasar’s fieldwork also underscored the growing role of political strategists in implementing evidence-based campaign methods. The study concludes that women’s votes represent more than demographic weight, calling for deeper analysis of their diverse identities as caregivers, workers, homemakers, and aspirational citizens rather than treating them as a homogeneous unit.

Discussion and comments

The session concluded with brief remarks by discussant Prof. Dianne Pinderhughes, who began by addressing Prof. Calimbahin’s paper, noting the authoritarian and violent nature of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, marked by extrajudicial killings and the drug war, and its implications for women’s political participation. She requested further clarification on Dr. Kumar’s use of abbreviated constitutional references. Prof. Pinderhughes observed that the forms of political violence against women discussed—ranging from abuse and semiotic violence to entrapment within the Madonna-Whore binary—echo patterns seen in other populist regimes globally. The audience contributed reflections on the case studies, offering additional evidence that supported and enriched the presenters' findings.