ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of gender in urban governance and reports fi ndings from a research investigation into the 30 per cent seat reservation or quota system for women politicians operating in India in the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). Some comparison with London, which also has around 30 per cent female local politicians, a fi gure high by international standards, is made through examination of previously published research. The context in which the research is taking place is important for a number of reasons. To begin with concerns have been expressed worldwide in recent years about establishing what has been called good governance in the face of pressure for market reforms and fears of corruption or clientelism. At the same time interest has grown in the role of gender and the under-representation of women in positions of responsibility and decision making, with calls for empowerment heard worldwide. The experience of the recently empowered women in Mumbai and the degree to which critical acts and a critical mass can make a difference to welfare and social policy is explored. It is contended that women in Mumbai, as in London, are generally held in high regard and are seen as highly competent and fair and fl exible in their dealings with others, focusing their energies on the needs of the most disadvantaged and socially excluded in the community. The women in Mumbai are also far less involved in questionable practices than men. It is further argued that women’s increasing presence is bringing enhanced levels of respectability to local governance.
