Gender, ethnicity, and grassroots governance in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The presence of women in grassroots governance, it is argued, should strengthen their collective identity as women and create space for more inclusive politics. On the basis of a field survey in Arunachal Pradesh, India, this paper argues that the interrelationship between representation and inclusive governance is far more complex, particularly in the backdrop of ethnic politics and institutional diversity. Women representatives tend to work within the dominant paradigm of ethnicized governance reinforced by enlisting the support of family and clan members. The results suggest that given the social, political and cultural context of Arunachal Pradesh, mere inclusion of women in formal grassroots governance is clearly not enough for creating a basis for gender equality, particularly for the women of vulnerable sections of society.