Dis/empowering political subjects: The production of “failed” elected women representatives in India

SynopsisIn 1993, India entered a new era of participatory democracy and development through legislation of a local governance structure that facilitated the presence of women and men from marginalized communities through electoral quotas. While more than 1 million women entered local levels of governance, major questions around their participation, empowerment and potential to impact development remain. Given a global capitalist crisis, what does it mean for women to take political positions in institutions that are “flawed” from years of bad decisions? How does a “systemic failure” of development get inscribed on bodies of women representatives who become “failed” agents of development?