Women's Political Participation and Representation in Asia
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
iwanaga The ability of a small elite of highly educated, upper-class Asian women’s political women to obtain the highest political positions in their country is unmatched elsewhere in the world and deserves study. But, for participation and those interested in a more detailed understanding of how women representation strive and sometimes succeed as political actors in Asia, there is a women’s marked lack of relevant research as well as of comprehensive and in asia user-friendly texts. Aiming to fill the gap is this timely and important study of the various obstacles and opportunities for women’s political Obstacles and Challenges participation and representation in Asia. Even though it brings political together a diverse array of prominent European and Asian academicians and researchers working in this field, it is nonetheless a singularly coherent, comprehensive and accessible volume. Edited by Kazuki Iwanaga The book covers a wide range of Asian countries, offers original data from various perspectives and engages the latest research on participation women in politics in Asia. It also aims to put the Asian situation in a global context by making a comparison with the situation in Europe. This is a volume that will be invaluable in women’s studies internationally and especially in Asia. a nd representation representation i n asia www.niaspress.dk Iwanaga-2_cover.indd 1 4/2/08 14:23:36 WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION IN ASIA Kazuki_prels.indd 1 12/20/07 3:27:44 PM WOMEN AND POLITICS IN ASIA Series Editors: Kazuki Iwanaga (Halmstad University) and Qi Wang (Oslo University) Women and Politics in Thailand Continuity and Change Edited by Kazuki Iwanaga Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Asia Obstacles and Challenges Edited by Kazuki Iwanaga Kazuki_prels.indd 2 12/20/07 3:27:44 PM Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Asia Obstacles and Challenges Edited by Kazuki Iwanaga Kazuki_prels.indd 3 12/20/07 3:27:44 PM Women and Politics in Asia series, No. 2 First published in 2008 by NIAS Press NIAS – Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Leifsgade 33, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark tel (+45) 3532 9501 • fax (+45) 3532 9549 email: [email protected] • website: www.niaspress.dk © NIAS – Nordic Institute of Asian Studies 2008 All rights reserved. While copyright in the volume as a whole is vested in the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, copyright in the individual papers belongs to their authors. No paper may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the author or publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Women’s political participation and representation in Asia : obstacles and challenges. - (Women and politics in Asia ; 2) 1. Women in politics - Asia 2. Women politicians - Asia I. Iwanaga, Kazuki II. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies 305.4’332’095 ISBN: 978-87-7694-016-4 Typeset by NIAS Press Produced by SRM Production Services Sdn Bhd and printed in Malaysia Kazuki_prels.indd 4 12/20/07 3:27:45 PM CONTENTS Abbreviations and Acronyms • ix Contributors • xiii Preface • xvii 1 Kazuki Iwanaga Introduction Women and Politics in Asia: A Comparative Perspective • 1 2 Andrea Fleschenberg Asia’s Women Politicians at the Top: Roaring Tigresses or Tame Kittens? • 23 3 Jude Howell Gender and Rural Governance in China • 55 4 Lichun Chiang Women as Agents of Change in Legislation in Taiwan • 81 5 Kazuki Iwanaga Women’s Political Representation in Japan • 101 6 Won-Hong Kim South Korean Women’s Political Status and Future Challenges • 130 7 Trudy Jacobsen Beyond Apsara: Women, Tradition and Trajectories in Cambodian Politics • 149 v Kazuki_prels.indd 5 12/20/07 3:27:45 PM 8 Kazuki Iwanaga Women in Thai Politics • 173 9 Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza Women and the Democracy Project: A Feminist Take on Women’s Political Participation in the Philippines • 210 10 Anula Attanayake Elitism in Women’s Political Participation in Sri Lanka within a South Asian Context • 253 11 Kamal Uddin Ahmed Women and Politics in Bangladesh • 276 12 Drude Dahlerup Gender Quotas in Politics: Empowerment from Above or from Below? • 297 Index • 311 Tables 2.1 Socio-political data of countries with female political leadership (as of 2004) • 28–29 2.2 Gender-related data of countries with female political leadership (as of 2004) • 30 2.3 Biographical data of Asia’s female political leaders • 32–33 2.4 Electoral performance of top Asian woman politicians (in 2004) • 42 2.5 Female political representation in countries with elections (in 2004) • 43 2.6 Female political representation according to ranking of Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) • 44 2.7 Parliamentary gender ratio in 1975 and 1998 (% of women) • 47 4.1 Percentage of women in the legislative Yuan in Taiwan • 82 4.2 Theoretical foundations • 87 4.3 Total frequencies of speeches in the 4th legislature in Taiwan • 92 4.4 Reasons for speaking for children/health policies in Taiwan • 93 vi Kazuki_prels.indd 6 12/20/07 3:27:45 PM 4.5 Reasons for speaking for education policies in Taiwan • 94 4.6 Reasons for crime protection policies in Taiwan • 95 4.7 Reasons for foreign/military policies in Taiwan • 96 4.8 Reasons for economic policies in Taiwan • 97 4.9 Main reasons for speaking policies in the 4th Taiwan legislative Yuan • 98 6.1 Number of eligible voters and actual votes during the previous presidential elections • 133 6.2 Number of eligible voters and actual voters in the national assembly elections • 134 6.3 Rate of females elected in previous elections • 136 6.4 Number of females elected in basic local assembly elections in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2002 • 138 6.5 Number of females elected in Broad District Assembly elections in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2002 • 138 6.6 Comparison of current and suggested electoral systems • 143 8.1 Bills initiated by both female and male legislators in the house of representatives from the beginning of the Thaksin government to September 2003 • 186 9.1 Number of women in the Philippine senate and house of representatives, 1946–1987 • 225 9.2 Women elected to public office: executive branch: national • 226 9.3 Women elected to public office: legislative branch: national • 226 9.4 Women elected to public office: executive and legislative positions at the local government levels • 227 9.5 Data and women-related bills filed in the bicameral legislature: comparison of the 11th and 12th congress • 232 9.6 Categories of women-related bills filed in the bicameral legislature: summary between the 11th and 12th Congresses • 233 9.7 Tabulation of women-related legislations passed into law: from the 8th to the 12th Congresses, by categories • 235 10.1 Gender inequality in education • 256 vii Kazuki_prels.indd 7 12/20/07 3:27:45 PM 10.2 Country rankings by Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) • 260 10.3 Woman’s political participation by country • 266 10.4 GDI and GEM rates in South Asia • 267 11.1 Women in national parliaments in selected countries • 282 11.2 Elected women’s members to the Bangladesh parliament (1973–2003) • 286 11.3 Elected women chairpersons to the Union Parishad of Bangladesh • 288 11.4 Female members in the party hierarchy of major parties in Bangladesh • 290 12.1 The top of the world rank order: parliaments with more than 30 per cent women • 307 Figures 2.1 Women presidents and prime ministers by region (1994–2004) • 26 2.2 Women presidents and prime ministers by development level (1945–2004) • 27 9.1 Trending of Filipino voters’ turnout rates by sex (1947–2001) • 224 9.2 Trending of women elected to public office: bicameral legislature • 226 9.3 Trending women elected to public office: executive and legislative positions at the local government levels • 228 9.4 Trending of women elected to public office: executive and legislative branches: national and local elections, 1987–2004 • 230 9.5 Women in national legislature vis á vis pro-women laws: from the 8th to the 12th Congresses • 234 viii Kazuki_prels.indd 8 12/21/07 3:34:18 PM ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ACWF All-China Women’s Federation ADB Asian Development Bank AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AL Awami League AMEND Alliance of Migrant Workers and Advocates to Amend RA 8042 ARMM Autonomous Region of Muslims Mindanao ASG Abu Sayyaf Group AWAR E Alliance of Women for Action towards Reconciliation AWIT Association of Women in Theology BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNWLA Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyer Association BPFA Beijing Platform for Action CAR Cordillera Administrative Region CCP Communist Party of China CEDAW Convention Against the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CIA Central Intelligence Agency CLD Center for Legislative Development COMELEC Commission on Elections CORIS Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Online Research and Information System CP Communist Party ix Kazuki_prels.indd 9 12/20/07 3:27:46 PM Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Asia CPK Cambodia’s Communist Party CPP Cambodian People’s Party CWR Center for Women’s Resources DK Democratic Kampuchea DP Democratic Party DPP Democratic Progressive Party DVD Digital Video Disc EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue EO Executive Order EPZ Export Processing Zones EU European Union FHI Freedom House Index PFP People First Party FPTP First past the post FUNCINPEC National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia GABRIELA General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Equality, Leadership and Action GAD Gender and Development GB Great Britain GDI Gender Development