What is Engendering Democratic Governance(EDG) about?
Generally while referring to the terms “Engendering”, “Democracy” and “Governance”, we get the idea about propagating rights, the form of government where the governing power is derived from the people and the activity of governing. When mentioning these terms we often come across the cliché “Democratic Governance” that we often tend to repeat. This frequently used cliché though has a very profound meaning which is often overlooked. The culture of a Democratic Governance moves beyond the mere procedures of democracy and the establishment of democratic institutions. It involves promoting the sustainability of democracy which includes an enduring capacity for: the separation of powers and independence of the branches of government; the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law; the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and, the transparency and accountability of a responsible civil service, functioning at both the national and local levels.
So when identifying to “Engendering Democratic Governance”, we articulate about the governance with wide scope of political participation embracing a pluralistic system of political parties, a vibrant civil society and media ,which promotes and integrates women and minorities in all levels of Government and society as whole.
Gender sensitivity is a crucial part of Democratic Governance. The trend towards gender equality is intimately linked with the broader process of democratization. Women’s representation and democracy is self-evident, since women account for over half the population of most societies: if the majority doesn’t have full political rights, the society is not democratic. Yet, the relationship between gender and governance is often neglected in both conceptual and empirical work. Much influential political thought is still based on perceptions of the separation between the ‘public’ realms of politics, military affairs and administration and the ‘private’ realm of domestic and family life.
There are still far fewer women than men with the power to make decisions in governance institutions. In 2008, the world average of women in Parliaments was only 17.8 per cent. In the highest decision-making bodies of European Union central banks, there are five times as many men as women. Local government-initiated consultative processes also often fail to engage women sufficiently. Even decision-makers in CSOs tend to be men.
Women and men are situated differently in society. Women face different constraints that often translate into fewer entitlements and less choice in determining their capabilities. Opportunities, especially in the economy and decision-making, are also typically fewer for women, who also face weaker incentives in the form of lower returns from translating their entitlements into capabilities. As a result, as well as due to their different gender and reproductive roles, women also have quite different needs and often different priorities from men. However, the working arrangements of governance institutions are usually inflexible, making it difficult for women to balance their work with unpaid caring responsibilities. In turn, the processes designed to engage citizens in decision-making – such as participatory budgeting – can exclude women by failing to provide crèches or other facilities.
Achieving greater gender equality in governance is an important end in itself because those who have traditionally been excluded because of their gender, sexuality, and race or for other reasons have the right to play an equal part in governance institutions and processes. For this reason the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) devotes one of its 12 ‘areas of concern’ to ‘Women in Power and Decision-making’ – its strategic objective is to ‘take measures to ensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making’. It outlines actions that need to be taken by a broad range of actors – from governments to trade unions – to achieve a gender balance. But ‘adding women’ is not enough. CEDAW echoes this statement, with a focus on women’s participation in national level institutions, stating that women should have the right to: ‘participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government’. While governance institutions can reinforce gender inequalities, they can also challenge them. So ensuring that women play an equal role in shaping the decisions, rules and structures that influence lives is likely to lead to long-term, sustainable changes.
