Evaluating the state of democracy from a gender perspective

This paper suggests a methodolgy that can permit the evaluation of democracy from the perspective of gender equality. It first considers the normative conditions essential for a gender-equal democracy, drawing on the work of feminist theorists such as Fraser, Sanders and Young. From a reading of this literature, it constructs a three-fold schema of principles: inclusion, accountability, and responsiveness, and derives a series of indicators that permit the empirical explication of democratic institutions and processes as related to democratic decision-making. The resulting methodology, encapsulated in the concept ''gender democracy'', provides a robust and insightful framework for interrogating democratic decision-making.