Intro
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Women's Participation in Politics and Governance
1.3 Women's Seat Reservation in Governments
1.3.1 Rethinking Proxies
1.4 Women's Agency: Freedom and Functioning Principle
1.5 Having, Loving and Being Principles and the Quality of Life
1.6 Central Ideas of the Book
1.6.1 The Cities
1.7 Research Process
References
Chapter 2: Urban Local Governance in West Bengal
2.1 The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act and Its Background

2.2 Changing Concept of Governance/New Governance
2.3 Decentralized Governance and Participatory Development in West Bengal
2.3.1 Reforms in Urban Governance in West Bengal
2.3.2 Pre-74th Constitutional Amendment Act Period
2.3.3 Post-74th Constitutional Amendment Act Period
2.4 Decentralized Structure of City Governments
2.5 Institutional Reforms and Basic Services
2.6 New Governance Process
2.6.1 Accountability
2.6.2 Transparency
2.6.3 Participation in Urban Governance
2.7 Financial Reforms and the Status of Municipal Finance
2.8 Other Partners

2.8.1 Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
2.8.2 Non-governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations
2.9 Centralized Politics vs. Decentralized Governance
2.10 Critical Review of Governance Reforms in West Bengal
References
Chapter 3: Women's Empowerment Through Participation in Urban Local Governance
3.1 Women's Empowerment
3.2 Women's Development and Empowerment Programmes in India
3.3 Women and Urban Local Governance in India
3.4 Women in West Bengal
3.5 Women in Urban Local Governance in West Bengal

3.5.1 The Observed and Expected Representation of Women Councillors in West Bengal
3.5.2 The Political Party-Wise Representation of Women Councillors in West Bengal
3.6 Women's History in the Selected Cities
Appendices
Appendix 3.1: Women's Representation in the Parliament in India
Appendix 3.2: The Comparative Representation of Women in Parliament from India and West Bengal: 1952-2019
Appendix 3.3: Representation of Women in Urban Governance of West Bengal
Appendix 3.4: The District-wise Patterns of the Party-wise Representation of EWRs in Cities of West Bengal
References

Chapter 4: Profile and Background of the Councillors
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Profile of the Women Councillors
4.3 Profile of the Men Councillors
4.4 Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix 4.1: Brief Profile of the Women Councillors in Darjiling
Appendix 4.2: Brief Profile of the Women Councillors in Balurghat
Appendix 4.3: Brief Profile of the Women Councillors in Raniganj
Appendix 4.4: Brief Profile of the Women Councillors in Hugli-Chinsurah
Appendix 4.5: Profile of the Men Councillors in Darjiling
Appendix 4.6: Profile of the Men Councillors in Balurghat