Today more women are entering into politics - the men's world - and claiming their due rights. Hence, the process to integrate women's perspective and needs in politics is not an easy task. Evidence indicates that women remain low in number in important decision-making positions in political institutions in almost all the regions of the world. Even women's electoral participation is much lower compared to men. Therefore, questions that are asked: What is the state of women candidates in the parliamentary elections? Why do the parties nominate few women candidates? What forces influence the nomination of women? To seek answers, this paper focuses on women's electoral participation in parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. Leaning on feminist institutionalism, it explains that different dynamics work at the nomination and election of women. Relying on both primary and secondary sources of information, the paper argues that ideological orientation informal norms and practices pressure of FPTP electoral system dictated by money and muscle power of candidates, and clientelism in the nomination process are inherently nested in the political parties and used as tools to discriminate against women in the nomination and participation in national elections. The article highlights a few strategies-adopting affirmative action for women in the political parties and enforcing the existing electoral rules and regulation effectively; and mandating gender equality training and education as part of social and political activities of parties - to feminize the power space.