Women and democracy in Southeast Asia

In this chapter I will address three main questions. First, how have women in Southeast Asia participated in democratisation movements, and in democratic systems? Second, what difference does democracy make to women: for instance, have democratic regimes benefited them? Third, what difference does women’s political participation (or lack of it) make to democracy? In answering all these questions we have always to be aware that women, like men, are not a homogeneous group; and different groups of women may well have different experiences of democratisation and democracy.