ABSTRACT
This chapter completes the circle by emphasizing the impact of norms on the political participation of women in these patriarchal environments by comparing the parshad-pati narratives from Chapter 3 with the narratives of the women acting independently or in cooperative arrangements from Chapter 4. Comparison and contrast highlight the persistent patriarchal norms that continue to restrict women’s political agency and development. A combination of extensive public experience, relative wealth, and family support is generally needed to overcome the power of these restrictions. Parental and societal attitudes on political engagement for young women, gendered family traditions that significantly alter the accessibility of the political environment to married women, societal normative constraints on women engaging in public and political actions, and challenging institutional environments all erect barriers across the entirety of a woman’s lifetime. These barriers reduce experiential knowledge and political capability for most women, to the point that to pursue political office effectively, they must rely upon the support of men. Problematically in terms of establishing sustainable substantive representation for women, these dynamics demonstrate that gender quotas are unable to completely overcome these patriarchal norms. While a quota can put a woman in office, it cannot ensure her independence.
