Chapter 2: Pagnakura of the Bangsamoro Women in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines: How Dynastic Politics Enable Women's Political Participation in Muslim Communities

This study traced the political families that Muslim women political leaders in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines, are affiliated with, to determine the role of political families as an enabling political context for women's political participation in Muslim communities. Upon doing so, a Bangsamoro political leadership typology is developed to thematize the leadership styles these women political leaders employ. A comprehensive literature review was performed to generate the three themes of the Bangsamoro political leadership typology along with the integration of Pearce et al. (2003) and Shepard (1987) frameworks. Seventeen prominent political families in Tawi-Tawi are identified with only 10 distinct Muslim women elected in top-level political seats in the province for the past 25 years. All these women succeeded family members in various political positions, even without prior political experience. The empirical Bangsamoro leadership typology generated by this study determined most women in Tawi-Tawi as Transactional-Modernist. This indicates their adherence to patriarchal Islamic teachings and their reinforcement of gender-stereotypical political agendas to facilitate their positive inclusion in the political sphere. The study highlighted familial connections influencing Tawi-Tawi's political landscape and provided discussion into the challenges, pathways, and leadership styles of Muslim women political leaders.