ABSTRACT
In this chapter, i will present the research framework guiding this dissertation. I consider this study to contribute to literature examining the scope, purpose and definition of the “public sphere” and its more concrete manifestation, “civil society.” I contend that the public sphere consists of various and sundry spaces, some mutually supportive and some in contention. These spaces serve to enhance democracy, particularly for those for whom opportunities to participate in decision-making at the state level are few. To this end, I take women as a status group to investigate alternative public spaces. Women experience social and political life differentially because of their gender. 1 I seek to understand how they, from their status level in society, participate politically, by examining evidence of political capital. I consult literature in feminist politics which questions some of the male normative conceptions of what the state is, how it functions and who participates. In order to participate in national decision-making, women have constructed NGOs which seek to impact policy-making, and by so doing, they have carved out some public space for themselves. Within this space, they not only craft and submit legislation and other material inputs to the formal government, but they generate political capital for and among themselves, which in turn fosters a fluid relationship between the NGOs and the state, and has the effect of bolstering women’s political careers and other political endeavors. In this way, NGOs serve an emancipatory function, as the nonformal educational processes occurring there assist women in 36realizing their political selves and support them in taking action toward social change.
