they do not have enough knowledge of municipal acts and rules and regulations and they lack prior experience of dealing with urban development issues they get little support from their senior male or female colleagues and municipal officials do not cooperate with them women do not have the necessary resources to contest elections and they face discrimination in partylevel decisionmaking which leaves them feeling insecure about political corruption and the use of money power moreover they lack confidence in public speaking and family responsibilities prevent them from participating effectively state of women in urban local government india