"If a healthy democracy were to be defined and evaluated by the continuity and effort of reformation to ensure the representation and participation of those on the periphery, then the word “democracy” itself would be used with less complacency, and the processes and institutions that embody it would be more open in their efforts to reach out."

Georgina Ashworth,
“When Will Democracy Include Women?”

Today, "democracy" is a much-touted word and has become a goal for individuals and nations around the world. However, the definition of democracy remains elusive. We know that democracy falls almost exclusively within the domain of politics. Further, it comes within the traditional definition of politics which is characterized as male-dominated, specific to the "public sphere", and therefore not necessarily women-friendly. For these reasons, despite the increasing popularity of the concept and practice of democracy, the question regarding why democracy and gender should be interlinked continues to be asked and still needs to be answered. We will highlight some of the main arguments often repeated in this regard.

First, women's political rights ­ with politics being broadly defined to include everyday concerns ­ are an integral and inseparable part of their human rights; and human rights, in turn, are a fundamental aspect of any democratic framework. A second argument for linking gender and democracy is that in a democracy the points of view of the different groups involved must be taken into account in formulating any decision or carrying forward any strategy. In other words, democracy must be inclusive of the opinions and perceptions of women as well as men. This argument is also used to justify the need to bring minorities into decision-making processes.

To conceptualize issues and develop policies which will affect, directly or indirectly, citizens' lives without taking into account the situations, perspectives and realities of all those who will be affected is no longer credible in today's world.

Finally, perhaps the single most important rationale for linking democracy and gender is that women effectively constitute half the world's population, and half of each and every single national population. Women's studies and the amalgamation of practical experiences repeatedly have pointed out that women are not and should not be considered a minority. Indeed, women are as much a "minority" as men are in such a context. To conceptualize issues and develop policies which will affect, directly or indirectly, citizens' lives without taking into account the situations, perspectives and realities of all those who will be affected is no longer credible in today's world.

Democracy, by definition, cannot afford to be gender-blind.

Taking into account gendered perspectives and involving women and men in decision-making processes is a sine qua non of any democratic framework. Hence democracy, by definition, cannot afford to be gender-blind. It must strive towards equality and representation of women and men in decision-making processes and in the opportunities to achieve both these goals.