Women and Women’s Quota in Urban Local Bodies in Nagaland: A Saga of Struggle and Success

By Amrita Saikia

In June 2024, the Nagaland state in India’s Northeast held the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections after a gap of two decades. According to reports, out of 278 seats in civic bodies, women won 102 seats. The numbers indicate how women’s quota can pave the way for women into male-dominated political arenas in patriarchal societies. In 2023, two Naga women were elected to the 60-member Nagaland Legislative Assembly for the first time since state formation in 1963, which was hailed as “historic.” These positive developments can be considered major steps in Naga women’s decades of struggle for their constitutional rights.

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Disaster response: why democracy matters

By Isabelle Desportes

It is inherent to times of crises, and we can witness it in the way the COVID-19 pandemic is being handled too: strong leadership emerges, many decisions and emergency legislative mechanisms are enforced, and some key issues move to the background. While such centralistic measures are often necessary, they also bear the risk of infringing on an effective and socially just handling of crises, and shape our societies on the long term. Continue reading “Disaster response: why democracy matters”