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Ph.D., Political Science, McMaster University, Canada

Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Jadavpur University

Master of Arts (M.A.), Jadavpur University

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (B.A. Hons.), University of Calcutta
 

Prof. (Dr.) Garima Sarkar

Assistant Professor

Email garima.sarkar@jgu.edu.in
Connect with me
ORCID ID 0009-0000-5410-1569
Key Expertise Gender and Party Politics, Candidate-Selection, Informal Party Politics, Ethnic and Gender Quotas, Electoral Systems, Intersectionality, Public Policy, Political Representation and Governance, Asian politics.

Ph.D., Political Science, McMaster University, Canada

Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Jadavpur University

Master of Arts (M.A.), Jadavpur University

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (B.A. Hons.), University of Calcutta
 

Biography

Dr. Garima Sarkar holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from McMaster University, Canada, where her research examined gender and politics, political recruitment strategies, party organization, and the formal and informal dynamics of candidate selection processes in South and Southeast Asia. Her doctoral dissertation, “Barriers to Women in Politics: Candidate Selection and Informal Party Politics in India,” supervised by Dr. Netina Tan, offers a mixed-methods analysis of how entrenched party structures and informal practices shape women’s access to political candidacy within major national parties. She is currently developing this research into a book manuscript of the same title with Peter Lang Publishing, extending the theoretical and empirical contributions of her dissertation.

Dr. Sarkar’s research interests span gender and party politics, candidate selection, informal institutions, electoral systems, ethnic politics, comparative public policy, and representational politics. She has worked as a teaching fellow and research fellow at McMaster University, contributing to significant initiatives including the SSHRC-funded Ethnic Quota Project, research on democratic backsliding in Asia, comparative studies on gender quotas across South and Southeast Asia, and a book project on gender and politics in Asia. She also brings over six years of research and teaching experience in India, engaging with issues of public policy, governance, and political representation.

At O.P. Jindal Global University, Dr. Sarkar teaches courses in Comparative Democratization, Globalization and World Order, Comparative Party Systems, Gender and Politics: Comparative Perspectives, and Elections and Identity. She is a core committee member of the newly launched MA Programme in Electoral Analysis and Management, a collaborative initiative between the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) and the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP). In this role, she contributes to programme conceptualization, curriculum design, and academic coordination.

Her ongoing work continues to explore how institutional reforms, party behaviour, and informal political practices shape women’s representation and democratic outcomes in emerging and established political systems.
 

Comparative Politics

Gender, Identity, and Politics

Political Leadership

Global and International Institutions

Comparative Party Systems

Political Parties

Elections and Identity

Comparative Democratization

Politics of the Global South

Globalization and the World Order

Human Rights and International Development

Global South Studies

Graduate Student Association Dissertation Scholarship, McMaster University, 2023-24

Covid Relief Graduate Fellowship, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Canada 2022-23

Dean's Award for Outstanding Leadership & Contributions to the International Graduate Student Community, McMaster University, Canada, 2021

Outstanding International Student of the Year Award by CUPE 3906, McMaster University, Canada, 2021

Graduate Doctoral Scholarship at McMaster University, 2018-2024

Fellowship for “The Theory and Practice of Gender Mainstreaming: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives” (POLI 683-CB) Summer School, Concordia University, Quebec, Canada, 2019

Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA)

American Political Science Association (APSA)

European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)

Canada India Research Centre for Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) (University of Guelph, Canada)

Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA)

International Political Science Association (IPSA)

CARE

Panelist, "U21 Global Citizens Leadership Program", 4-15 October 2021.

Panelist, "Youth in Asian Communities" at Africa-Asia Youth Foundation, 14 August 2021.

Panelist, "Youth in Politics" at Africa-Asia Youth Foundation, 2 July 2021.

Panelist, “Women in Indian Politics” at Loreto College, Under the University of Calcutta, India on 16 March 2018.  

Panelist, "A Country for Women: The Road Ahead” at Loreto College, Kolkata, India organized by the British Deputy High Commission & Swaniti Initiative, 1 March 2013. 
 

Sarkar, Garima. (in progress). Elite Interviews in the Pandemic: Navigating the New Research Method. To be submitted to Political Studies,2027

Sarkar, Garima. Barriers to Women in Politics: Candidate Selection and Informal Party Politics in India. Book manuscript in preparation. Peter Lang Publishing, 2026.

Sarkar, Garima. (in progress). Empowering Girls Through Education: A Comparative Analysis of India's National Policy on “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” and West Bengal's “Kanyashree Prakalpa” Policies. To be submitted to Journal of Asian Public Policy, 2026.

Tan, Netina and Garima Sarkar. (in progress). Women in Party Politics in South and Southeast Asia. In Oxford Encyclopedia of Politics, 2026.

Sarkar, Garima. (in progress). Party Selectorate and Limits on Women's Candidacies in National Politics: A Comparison between India and Bangladesh. To be submitted to South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, 2026.

Das, Soham, and Garima Sarkar. "Nationalist Rhetoric: Response to Terrorism and the Language of Indian Political Leadership." Australian Outlook, August 25, 2025.

Sarkar, Garima, and Soham Das. "Creating Negative Peace? What the Data Says About Violence and Terrorism in Kashmir." Australian Outlook, May 16, 2025.

Sarkar, Garima. Party Gatekeepers and Gendered Hurdles: The 2024 Indian National Election and Women’s Political Representation. Under Review in Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, 2025.

Sarkar, Garima. (in progress). The Unseen Hurdles: Informal Party Politics and Candidate Selection Barriers for Women in India’s 2024 National Election. To be submitted to Contemporary South Asia, 2025.

Sarkar, Garima. "President Subianto's Cabinet Appointment: Implications of Party Politics and Candidate Selection in Indonesia." Australian Outlook, November 25, 2024.

Presented a paper titled “Limitations of Informal selection criteria on women in general seats: Comparing the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)” at the 25th Asian Studies Association of Australia Biennial Conference, Curtin University, Australia, 1 July 2024.

Presented a paper titled “Candidate selection and limitations for women in Indian national party politics: A comparative study” at Canada-India Research Centre for Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), University of Guelph, Canada, 4 October 2023.

Completed training on EDI, Conflict management, Strategic leadership, and Communication for LA/Collaborative, McMaster University by Work Wellness Centre, BC, ON, Canada, Nov-December 2023.

Participant, NVivo workshop at Spark: A Centre for Social Research Innovation, McMaster University, Canada, 14-28 April 2023.

Research statement (Doctoral) in Mentor-Mentee session at The European Conference on Politics and Gender (ECPG), Ljubljana, July 2022.

Discussant, IDRC/ISEAS Book Workshop “Putting Women Up: Promoting Gender Equality in Myanmar Politics”, 8- 9 October 2021.

Participant, 'Research Ethics Workshop' at McMaster University, Canada, 13 January 2020.

Participant, International Summer School on “The Theory and Practice of Gender Mainstreaming: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives” at the Department of Political Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, 22 – 26 July 2019.

Sarkar, Garima. "Women in Power with Reference to the Beijing Platform for Action: Achievements and Challenges Since 1995 in India." Human Rights International Research Journal 4, no. 1 2018.

"Gender and democracy: The Contradictions of Politics in India" at the Development Convention 2018, at Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, sponsored by ICSSR, Government of Karnataka, NABARD, RBI, Springer Nature and Brickwork Ratings, 24-25, April 2018.

"Gender and Democracy: The New Story of ‘Integral Humanism' in India" at Dr. S. D. Sharma Institute of Democracy, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226031 (India) on Contemporary Relevance of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay's Economic Philosophy in India funded by ICSSR, 24-25 January 2018.

Sarkar, Garima. "Women in Formal Governance and Their Respective Challenges: Comparative Story." Advances in Economics and Business Management (AEBM) 4, no. 7 2017: 491–494.

"India-Myanmar relations - The Aftermath of Rohingya Crisis" at Kachrapara College, University of Calcutta, India in a national seminar sponsored by MAKAIAS and ICSSR, 11 November 2017.

Participant, UGC-SAP-DRS-II sponsored Research Methodology workshop on “Economic Theory”, at the Department of Economics and Politics, Visva Bharati, India, 8-14 November 2017.

Sarkar, Garima. "The Story of Women in the Northeast versus India: Lessons to Be Learnt from Each Other." Journal of Kolkata Society for Asian Studies 2, no. 1 & 2 2016.

"Women in Parliament in India since independence" at Carmel College for Women in Nuvem, Goa (India) hosted by International Journal for Human Rights, 3- 5 March 2016.

Participant, Workshop on “Child Protection Policy modules (one-three)” at Karl Kubel Foundation for Development Education, Coimbatore, India on 25-28 July 2016.

Sarkar, Garima. "India-Bangladesh Relations: Broadening of Cooperation and Connectivity Issues." In An Outline of Indian Foreign Policy and Relations, 57-70, Kolkata: Mitram Publishers, 2015.

Sarkar, Garima. "Loosening of Border Trade in the Tamu-Moreh Corridor: Problems and Solutions." In Political Economy of India's North-East Border, 80-99. New Delhi: Pentagon Press, 2015.

"The Shackles of Democratization & Women Leaders in Bangladesh" in the Annual International Studies Convention 2015 hosted by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, supported by ICSSR, MAKAIAS & Jamia Milia University, India, 22- 23 March 2015.

"Women in Power with reference to the Beijing Platform for Action: Achievements & Challenges since 1995 in India" at an International Seminar on Gender Equality: Power, Violence against Women, Combating Myths & Understanding Legal Provisions, in Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, 13- 15 February 2015.

Participant, International Workshop on “India-Myanmar Connectivity: Possibilities& Challenges” at Observer Research Foundation, Kolkata Chapter, India, 16- 17 February 2015.

“The Security Dilemma in Indian Ocean & its implications on Indo-US Cooperation" at an International Conference on Changing Contours of Indo- US Relations: Perceptions, Continuity & Change, at BITS Pilani Goa Campus, India, 31st October – 2 November 2014.

Participant, International Consultative workshop on “India-Bangladesh Relations: Possibilities & Challenges “at Observer Research Foundation, Kolkata Chapter, India, 19-20 September 2014.

Participant, Workshop on “Research Methodology” in the Department of Political Science, University of Calcutta, in collaboration with West Bengal Political Science Association, India, 9 August 2014.

Participant, Workshop on “Research Methodology in Asian Studies” at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), India, 23- 27 June 2014.

“Loosening of Border Trade in the Tamu-Moreh Corridor - Problems & Solutions" at the National Seminar on “Trade at India’s Borders with the Neighboring Countries: Challenges & Prospects,” organized by Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS) and the Department of International Relations, Sikkim University, held in Sikkim, India, on 19 October 2013.

“Look East Policy Through The Eyes of North East India - Prospects & Potential" at the International Conference on Regionalism, Sub-regionalism & Connectivity: India’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century, organized by the Jadavpur Association of International Relations and supported by the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, and Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), held in Aizawl, Mizoram, 19-20 August 2013
Email garima.sarkar@jgu.edu.in
ORCID ID 0009-0000-5410-1569
Key Expertise Gender and Party Politics, Candidate-Selection, Informal Party Politics, Ethnic and Gender Quotas, Electoral Systems, Intersectionality, Public Policy, Political Representation and Governance, Asian politics.