Policy and Political Participation in Developing Countries: A Review of the Literature on Sex Workers in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan

This review explores the relationship between political participation and public policy. Existing literature has explored the impact of policies on political participation, yet a predominant focus has been on studies conducted in Western nations. There is a significant gap in the literature when it comes to developing nations, especially concerning marginalized communities. Prostitution is prohibited in Pakistan, legal in Bangladesh, and has partial legal protection in India. This review examines existing literature on the effect of policy on marginalized communities and in these three developing nations that have entirely different laws surrounding prostitution. Given the similarities in electoral systems, history, culture, and traditions of these countries, this review concludes, based on previous literature, that differences in political efficacy can be attributed to variations in policy changes.