womens election to urban local government has increased their social respectability and provided them with the ability to solve the problems of ordinary people ibid in chennai too several resident welfare associations concerned about the absence of educated middleclass citizens in public life fielded their members including women as candidates regardless of having a number of prominent and powerful female politicians womens participation in politics in both countries is very low despite the provision for reservation of onethird of the seats in local governments women members are not able to participate effectively