"The two-sided family" : the impact of the family and everyday life on women's political participation in rural Karnataka

The purpose of this study has been to explore the impact of everyday life and the family on women's political participation in India. This has been done by analysing the political life stories of nine women who have all been elected to the local governance system, Panchayati Raj, in the South Indian state of Karnataka. The family often plays a dual role in relation to women's political participation by on the one hand controlling her activities and on the other hand providing her with support and advice that a politically inexperienced woman cannot afford to be without. The controlling role of the family is especially explicit in the notion of proxy where the husband does most of the political work on behalf of his wife. Even though they begin their political careers as proxies the women may still develop into more independent politicians. The experience of participating in Panchayat activities has opened up a whole new world for some women while others perceive it as a burden.