Brulé Publishes Women, Power, and Property
Rachel Brulé, Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published a new book – Women, Power, and Property: The Paradox of Gender Equality Laws in India.
The book, published by Cambridge University Press, seeks to explore the issue of quotas for women in government and their capacity to upend entrenched social, political, and economic hierarchies within the context of India, the world’s largest democracy.
In this groundbreaking study, Brulé employs a research design that maximizes causal inference alongside extensive field research to explain the relationship between political representation, backlash, and economic empowerment. Her findings show that female elected leaders – gatekeepers – catalyze access to fundamental economic rights to property. Brulé shows how well-designed quotas can operate as a crucial tool to foster equality and empowerment.
When asked to comment on the new book, Brulé said the following:
Can female political representation advance economic equality? In Women, Power, and Property: The Paradox of Gender Equality Laws in India, I find the answer is yes, but only if women gain representation alongside the agency to renegotiate resource distribution within the household; if not, backlash dominates. Identifying sources of women’s ability to reshape power from the bottom up is of global significance. Economic and social inequality lie at the heart of the most pressing global challenges, including COVID-19; this book helps chart a path toward greater equality, through the systemic change female political leaders enable.
Women, Power, and Property can be purchased here. A promotional flyer with a 20% discount on the title can be viewed here.
Rachel Brulé is an Assistant Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and core faculty of the Global Development Policy Center’s Human Capital Initiative. Her research interests are broadly in comparative politics, international development, political economy, and gender, with a geographical focus on South Asia. Read more about her here.