Women's participation in South-Asia's civil services

Abstract

In most countries of the third world, the disparity between male and female representation in civil service is wide. “Women have little or unequal access to public employment” (Zafarullah, 2000: 197). “Fewer women are employed by governments in the civil service and they figure prominently in jobs set aside for them, while executive positions are generally occupied by men. A very insignificant number of women occupy key decision making positions in the public service” (United Nations, 1989: 13; UNDP, 1995: 40). In the past the members of bureaucracy were selected on the basis of merit. “But the merit principle was rather narrowly interpreted to favor a small group of people who had the opportunity, with the backing of prevailing social values, to gain entry to institutions of higher learning to develop their competence for governmental jobs” (Zafarullah, 2000: 197). “High entry standards and certain other prohibitions deprived a large segment of the population, especially women, from serving society” (Zafarullah, 2000: 197). While discussing on ‘representative bureaucracy’ Kingsley mentions that “In a democracy competence alone is not enough. The public service also has to be representative if the state is to liberate rather than enslave” (Kingsley, 1944: 185; cited in Zafarullah, 2000: 198). Scholars have been vigorously arguing for gender equality in public administration. A similar theme is advanced by developmentalists also. They contend that development, apart from economic growth, connotes “equity, social justice, and the effective exercise of basic human rights” (Lateef, 1992: 295; cited in Zafarullah, 2000: 198). Thus if equitable development is a key concern of Third World especially in South Asian governments, it is crucial that the structures of authority, decision making and implementation be modified to provide access and equity to all segments of society, especially women.