Women's election to urban local government has increased their social respectability and provided them with the ability to solve the problems of ordinary people (Ibid.). In Chennai, too, several Resident Welfare Associations concerned about the absence of educated middle-class citizen's in public life, fielded their members, including women, as candidates. Regardless of having a number of prominent and powerful female politicians, women's participation in politics in both countries is very low. Despite the provision for reservation of one-third of the seats in local governments, women members are not able to participate effectively.