The gender of democracy matters (Gender in

democratic states)
(opendemocracy.net)
A democracy of equality
There is a lot of outward evidence of progress. Several landmark governmental resolutions,
declarations, agreements and conventions arrived drawn up by various global and continental
platforms provide comprehensive mandates to ensure that gender equality and women's
empowerment are actively addressed as core democratic and development concerns. As a
result, gender equality is now formally embodied in the democratic principles of most countries,
and is broadly seen as an issue for all who want to realise "perfect democracy".
But the widespread rhetorical commitment to the principles of gender equality does not
automatically translate into practice; and in fact, substantive gains remain uneven and
incomplete across the world. What happens between the signing of progressive declarations
and taking the international gains home? What are the missing links? Can democracy transform
power-relations between women and men? Can a country's democratic credentials be judged
by its record on gender equality? How can gender equality transform the face of democracy?
These questions highlight the need to engage with and distil the most relevant current thinking
across the areas of democracy and gender.
The present ideal for democracy is that it should be inclusive, participatory, representative,
accountable and transparent. However, arguments are still heard justifying the exclusion of
sections of society - especially women, even though they constitute half of the world population.
The most favoured excuse is that women are not competent as leaders (though who questions
men's competency - maybe some measure of gender equality might be achieved when we have
an equal number of incompetent male and female leaders?) In any event, can a nation be
described as democratic if there is no equal participation and representation of women and men
as and where democratic decisions are taken?
A transformative issue
There is a need for far-reaching interventions which deconstruct and transform rather than
modernise gender relations. An essential underpinning is that gender equality has to be treated
as an explicit goal for democracy-building processes and institutions. If gender is treated as an
"add-on" then progress in achieving gender equality in democracy-building is unlikely. The
implication is that an equal distribution of power and influence must be established - and if

women are to have their fair share of these, this can only come about through interventions that
encourage men to relinquish some of their economic, political and social power.
To give up power and privilege is something that only a few can willingly or gladly do. It could
also be that the gender agenda may be threatening to the power and privilege of the "male
stream" democracy. In the same vein, it is worth noting that men must not be solely regarded as
impediments and obstacles to gender equality in democracy-building, but that men perform an
important role in efforts to transform the gender of democracy.
Difficulties also arise when gender-equality goals are perceived as "self-implementing" along
with real or feigned ignorance about the nature of gender disparities. It is not enough for the
democracy community to state that gender equality is an important issue for sustainable
democracy. Its importance must be demonstrated through strengthening accountability on
gender, the allocation of resources, raising gender-equality issues in democracy-building
instruments and mandates whose primary focus may not be gender, but to which gender is
relevant.
Democracy and gender is also a conceptual issue; if driven by policies and democracy
programmes not grounded in conceptual clarity and adequately tailored to address existing
gender differentials, the interventions will tend to perpetuate and exacerbate inequalities. The
absence of a true culture of gender equality is a great impediment to democracy.
A holistic approach
To strive for gender equality as a pillar in democracy requires transformative and visionary
leadership. This is the type of leadership that is committed to use power not as an instrument of
domination and exclusion but as aconduit for liberation, inclusion and equality. Otherwise,
democracy remains a hollow concept, for its instruments are of the reach of ordinary men and
women that serves the political interests of elites.
As a system for participation and representation, how can a nation be described as democratic
if men and women do not participate equally in the decision making that shapes democracy?
How can it be real democracy if at least half of the population is not represented to input their
practical needs and strategic interests?
It is essential too to emphasise that democracy should transcend the contest for political power
through elections, where the contest is almost always within the same gender.
While elections are an important ingredient of democracy, elections on their own do not make a
democracy. When electoral democracy tends to receive more attention than the people

themselves and fails to facilitate the "will of the people" (women and men alike) by facilitating
real change in their lives, it loses credibility and becomes unsustainable. The kind of "election
tourism" that focuses on announcing a "free-and-fair" outcome while ignoring the constituent
elements that feed into electoral democracy is inadequate.
Democracy for democracy's sake is an exercise in futility. Democracy must be underpinned by
popular vigilance. This has to be holistic: it encompasses the procedural and the substantive,
formal institutions and semi-autonomous social fields, males and females, majorities and
minorities, governments and non-state actors. Gender equality is an indispensable to this
democracy "whole".