CSS Gender Studies Gender and Governance Syllabus

Gender and Governance syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Gender and Governance in CSS Gender Studies, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Governance and Political Participation

   2 topics

   • Defining Governance
   • Suffragist Movement
2. 2

   Women in the Political Process

   3 topics

   • Gender Issues in Women as Voters
   • Gender Issues in Women as Candidates and Representatives
   • Impact of Political Quota in Pakistan

Gender and Governance flashcards for CSS Gender Studies

19 of 51 cards from the Gender and Governance deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the literal/etymological origin of the word 'governance'?

   It derives from the Greek verb 'kubernao' (to steer/pilot a ship), used metaphorically by Plato, which passed into Latin as 'gubernare' (to direct/rule).

2. How does the UNDP define 'governance'?

   The exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country's affairs at all levels, comprising the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate interests, exercise rights, meet obligations and mediate differences.

3. What is the key conceptual difference between 'government' and 'governance'?

   Government refers to the formal institutions and actors of the state that hold authority; governance is the broader process of governing that includes the state, civil society and the private sector, plus the rules and interactions among them.

4. What are the three main sectors/domains involved in governance?

   The State (political/governmental institutions), Civil Society (citizens and NGOs), and the Private Sector (the market/business). Good governance requires balanced interaction among all three.

5. List the eight characteristics of 'good governance' as defined by the UN/UNESCAP.

   Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus-orientation, Equity and Inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency, and Accountability.

6. What does it mean for governance to be 'gendered' or for 'gender-responsive governance'?

   It means governance institutions, policies and processes recognise and address the different needs, interests and power positions of women and men, ensuring equal participation, representation and benefit, rather than being gender-blind.

7. In good governance, what is the difference between 'equity/inclusiveness' and 'participation' as they relate to gender?

   Participation means all groups (including women) have a voice in decision-making directly or through representatives; equity/inclusiveness means all members, especially the most vulnerable, feel they have a stake and opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being.

8. What is 'gender mainstreaming' in governance?

   A strategy (defined by ECOSOC 1997) of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action—legislation, policies or programmes—in all areas and at all levels, so that gender equality becomes a central goal of governance rather than an afterthought.

9. Distinguish between the 'descriptive', 'substantive' and 'symbolic' dimensions of women's representation in governance.

   Descriptive = the numerical presence of women in office; Substantive = acting for women's interests through policy; Symbolic = what women's presence signifies for legitimacy and inspiring future participation (terms from Hanna Pitkin's typology).

10. What is the difference between 'practical gender needs' and 'strategic gender interests' in governance/policy (Moser framework)?

    Practical gender needs arise from women's existing roles (e.g., water, food, health) and do not challenge gender hierarchy; strategic gender interests aim to transform unequal power relations (e.g., legal rights, equal pay, ending violence).

11. What does 'political empowerment' of women mean?

    The process of increasing women's capacity to participate in, influence and hold accountable political decision-making—through voting, contesting elections, holding office and shaping policy—thereby gaining control over decisions that affect their lives.

12. What was the 'suffragist'/women's suffrage movement?

    The organised campaign, mainly 19th–early 20th century, demanding the right of women to vote (and stand for election) in public elections, forming part of the first wave of feminism.

13. What is the difference between a 'suffragist' and a 'suffragette'?

    Suffragists (e.g., the NUWSS under Millicent Fawcett) pursued the vote through peaceful, constitutional, lawful means; suffragettes (the WSPU under the Pankhursts) used militant, direct-action and sometimes violent tactics.

14. Which country/territory was the first in the world to grant women the right to vote in national elections, and when?

    New Zealand, in 1893, was the first self-governing country to grant women the national right to vote.

15. Who founded the militant Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Britain and in what year, and what was its slogan?

    Emmeline Pankhurst (with daughters Christabel and Sylvia) founded the WSPU in 1903; its slogan was 'Deeds, not Words'.

16. Who led the constitutional National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) in Britain?

    Millicent Garrett Fawcett led the NUWSS (founded 1897), which united suffragist groups and campaigned through peaceful, lawful means.

17. When did British women first gain the right to vote, and what was the age qualification?

    The Representation of the People Act 1918 gave the vote to women over 30 who met a property qualification; equal suffrage at age 21 (same as men) came with the Equal Franchise Act 1928.

18. When did women gain the right to vote in the United States, and through which constitutional amendment?

    In 1920, through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying the vote on the basis of sex.

19. At the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention (USA), what document was adopted and who were two key organisers?

    The 'Declaration of Sentiments' (modelled on the Declaration of Independence) was adopted; key organisers were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. It is considered the start of the organised women's rights movement in the US.

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