Gender, political mobilisation and participation

Outside political institutions and political parties, there is a political multiverse made up of civil society organisations and social movements, as well as community organisations. This is where political careers start and as de Tocqueville once pointed out, where democratic political cultures are founded. Invisible or invisibilised, particularly in politically fraught times, these are the platforms where women find a place and a role for themselves--either speaking for women's rights, or in resistance of specific laws or regimes, or working together towards socio-economic objectives. Women's mobilisation can also be a reflection of or in support of rising, dominant ideologies. The case studies on this panel span Asian and African contexts, offering a rich array for comparative analysis.