Inclusive Democracy and Development (ID2) Lab
The Inclusive Democracy and Development Lab was created in 2021 to identify how and when the voices of marginalized people – especially women – are represented in political institutions in low- and middle-income countries; what policies best ensure such representation; and how political inclusion impacts broader development. Promoting the representation of women’s interests has huge implications for development issues as women are more likely than men to demand public goods and services that benefit their families and communities.
The lab’s work focuses on South Asia, where women are underrepresented at higher levels of political office and participate in politics at 25 percent the rate men do. Scholars, including faculty, undergraduate students, and pre- and postdoctoral fellows who study comparative political economy, development, and gender issues – are using experiments, surveys, and in-depth qualitative fieldwork to design and test interventions that may improve women’s participation in politics.
The lab is collaborating with partners in India, Nepal, and Pakistan, looking at gender participation in varied contexts. Research efforts include: a database of local election candidacies and outcomes in India; studying how self-help groups might increase women’s social connectedness and political empowerment; examining how men and women are impacted by vocational training and job placement programs; and a behavioral experiment tracking gendered patterns of attendance at a public meeting about climate change, among other topics.
In 2023, the lab was also awarded funding by Stanford Impact Labs to conduct a randomized control trial testing interventions designed to increase women’s political participation in India.
Team
- Soledad Artiz Prillaman, lab director
- Somer Bryant, research program manager
- Daniel Abraham Praburaj, predoctoral research fellow
Past Team Members
- Alba Huidobro, postdoctoral fellow
- Saad Gulzar, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
- Diego Tocre, predoctoral research fellow
Selected Work
Books
The Patriarchal Political Order: The Making and Unraveling of the Gendered Participation Gap in India by Soledad Artiz Prillaman
News
Women’s microcredit groups empower women politically
The Patriarchal Political Order: Soledad Artiz Prillaman
Mulheres seguem excluídas da política na Índia apesar de cotas, diz pesquisadora
Stanford undergraduate student studies how social groups motivate political participation in India
Contact
For more information about the initiative, please contact King Center Executive Director Jessica Leino at jleino@stanford.edu.