Abstract:
In a parliamentary democratic set up, politics, political parties, and
political participation on the basis of social positions are the main components of
common talks. Political participation has come to occupy an important place in the life
style of all the people to gain their political rights properly. As it is the main key for the
people to open the door of political program and propose political demands. So, this
paper manly deals with women political participation in Pottuvil Divisional Secretariat
area. Therefore, this study is significant as it explores why women has limited
participation in politics, although they have been given many opportunities such as
higher education, employment, administrative power and political opportunities and
rights to develop their capacity for best contribution of the society. The main objective
of this study is to examine women's political participation in the Pottuvil Divisional
Secretariat area concerning their different types of socio-economical and cultural
backgrounds. And also this study attempts to investigate the conceptual and material
bases of women's historic exclusion from the formal arena of politics to identify
internal and external conditions and factors that facilitate or hinder the creation of an
enabling environment for women's political empowerment; and finally draw some
recommendations for the national and international actors. This is primarily a
qualitative study. Data was collected from primary as well as secondary sources. The
primary data was collected through questionnaire, key informant interview, direct
observation and focus group discussion (FGD). The secondary data was collected from
the profile of the Pottuvil Divisional Secretariat Finally, this research found the result
as the political participation of women is limited in the Pottuvil Divisional Secretariat
area due to the socio, cultural, personal and religious circumstances
