Economic factors play a major role in politics in the modern world. In every democratic political system like India, economic factors determine the most viable candidates for political posts. India has a multi-party system, and thus it normally experiences abnormal inflations during the campaign periods prior to the election because of the huge amount of money spent in the campaigns by the political parties as they campaign for their candidates. In addition, the candidates who win the support of their political parties are economically empowered persons in most cases.
This aspect has hindered women from assuming political positions because they have been subjected to economic subjugation for a long time and thus denied the support of their political parties, especially in Iran. Surprisingly, the majority of women who manage to assume political positions have a strong relationship with economically powerful who back them up to acquire the positions like the case of most women politicians in both India and Iran.
Economic factors were the major cause of feminism movements that originated from the WestWest. Women needed the right to have economic power and earn equal pay as men provided; they were doing the same jobs in the same environment (Lijphart & Waisman 1996: 111). Women were often paid a lesser amount of money than men were because they were viewed as weak workers, and they lacked competitive skills as well.
However, feminism movements played a major role in ending that prejudice, which marked the beginning of women empowerment. As a result, women were given equal opportunities as men in the education system, and as a result, the political systems started to accommodate women in powerful positions. However, Iranian women are denied economic rights, and this aspect deters them from becoming powerful politicians, but Indian women are better off because they have been empowered economically.
Social factors are a combination of different aspects, and thus the most influential elements in determining the nature of political gender inequality in most countries. In India and Iran, women are socially viewed as insecure, regardless of the position they hold in society. Scholars argue that women are naturally weak, and thus they can be empowered by being supported by their men. Therefore, gender inequality is the least in environments where men have played a major role in empowering their female counterparts.
women politicians are denied the opportunity to participate in critical decision-making processes. Unfortunately, women politicians are only allowed to participate in matters touching on female issues like the payment of dowry. They are not part of the legislative process that decides on economic and security matters of the country.
Hence, women are defined, and their roles are confined to women-related issues. In addition, women play a huge role in empowering their fellow women through introducing legislation that aims at improving gender equality in the country in line with the international gender empowerment requirements where women are required to enjoy equal social and economic rights with men.