Gender, Diversity, and Federalism: New Approaches and Terrains

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

There is a growing body of research that examines how federalism, as a philosophy of governance and as institutions, ideas and practices affect democratic access to political decision-making, especially access by women. This research has focused on the question of how federalism and multi-level governance (MLG) affects democracy and if it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for women and their efforts to promote equality in political processes and outcomes. The papers will build on this research; first, by exploring how interactions among gender, federalism and MLG affect more aspects of politics and more countries. They will explore how such interactions affect state responsiveness by paying more attention to ‘diversity’ e.g. religion interacting with gender. Finally, they will explore how formal and informal changes in power distributions in federations affect democratization, specifically women’s participation and representation in governance. The papers will use ‘gender’ and ‘diversity’ as key analytic variables to broaden and deepen research on how gender and federalism interact with democratization. The papers will form part of a new Handbook on Gender, Diversity and Federalism, highlighting gender approaches to comparative democratization in federations focusing on the experiences of marginalized women.

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 49: Canadian Politics

Cosponsor

• DIVISION 28: Federalism & Intergovernmental Relations

Individual Presentations

• Women's Policy Agencies and Federalism - Caroline C. Beer, University of Vermont

• Gendering the Federal Bargain in Canada - Joan Grace, University of Winnipeg

• Does Multi-Level Governance Enhance Women's Representation in Federations? - Mariam Mufti, University of Waterloo

• Federalism, Gender Equality and Religous Rights-Canada and Nigeria - Peter J. Smith, Athabasca University

Chairs

• Carol S. Weissert Florida State University

• Jill Mccalla Vickers Carleton University