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Women in Kyrgyzstan—Electorally Marginalized but Legislatively Influential: A Theory of Transactional Activism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2021

Michele E. Commercio Open the ORCID record for Michele E. Commercio [Opens in a new window]
Michele E. Commercio*
Affiliation:
University of Vermont
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Abstract

How can we understand the signing of legislation targeting violence against women in postcommunist countries where women are electorally marginalized? Although women are underrepresented in Kyrgyzstan, the country's parliament has passed bride theft and domestic violence legislation. This article proposes a theory of transactional activism: in postcommunist countries where women are electorally marginalized, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can instigate legislative change if the state satisfies three necessary conditions permitting lateral links between NGOs working on behalf of women and vertical links between these nonstate actors and critical actors in parliament. The state must (1) establish a regulatory framework for NGO activity permitting the articulation and representation of women's interests; (2) demonstrate a rhetorical commitment to improving women's lives; and (3) facilitate the election to parliament of critical actors sympathetic to women's interests. In other words, women's substantive representation can occur without strong descriptive representation in the formal legislative arena if the state satisfies these conditions.

Keywords

Central AsiaKyrgyzstancivil societytransactional activismbride theftdomestic violencegender quotawomen and politics
Type
Research Article
Information
Politics & Gender , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2022 , pp. 605 - 639
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Women, Gender, and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association

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