Women and Development

The equal participation of women and men in public life is one of the cornerstones of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1979, and in force since 1981. However, the fact remains that women still live under the shadow of men in a 'patriarchal' dominated society and are often relegated to the backseat in almost every aspect of the decision-making process. They are exploited, ignored, silent and subjugated to medieval patriarchal traditions.

In a world where patriarchal elements of society dominate social relations, one facet which is homogeneous and unique is the unequal and deplorable status of women. Unfortunately, in spite of the constitutional provisions of gender equality, women are still politically, socially and economically marginalized and are kept away from the decision making bodies. The scenario in this aspect has not changed much over time. There is a dearth of political awareness among the women folk especially among the developing world. Women's participation in existing institutional politics and decision making processes has been tactfully excluded. This in turn has caused deterioration in the status of women and has made them vulnerable. Women across the world are still one of the vulnerable groups facing a lot of issues, challenges in their lifestyle, status, employment, education, political participation, health, domestic violence, etc.

This volume, the outcome of the International Conference on "Women and Development" held at Union Christian College from the 26th 28th July 2019, seeks to understand the different dimensions of the problems and institutional challenges faced by women in their quest for empowerment and equity. It renders an academic opportunity for all of us to think, to acknowledge the important role played by women and to act for women's development and empowerment. Excluding women from the development process impoverishes the development of democratic principles in public life and inhibits the economic development of a society. Increasing women's participation in the decision making processes and securing their access to social, economic and political life is of particular importance to democratic development and sustainability. Ultimately, the need for women in development remains unquestionable. What can be questioned is the existence and operation of a development mechanism without women: how can development possibly be defined without women; how can decision-making bodies effectively address the needs of a society without the participation and involvement of half of its population? A gender-balanced approach to politics is what democracy believes in and defends. Anything less can only amount to a democratic deficit.

**Contents and Sample Pages**