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New Delhi:
Despite a more than decade long campaign to get more women's
representation in India's legislative bodies, including
parliament, women are still missing from politics as patriarchal
attitudes create doubts in their own minds as well as in society
over their capability to be good leaders, activists and
researchers say.
In her yet-to-be-released book, "Reign She Will: Women's Strife
for Political Space", activist Ranjana Kumari says the successful
implementation of the women's reservation bill will ensure that
women get an equal share in politics and, in turn, in society.
"When looking at India, there are many causal factors for the lack
of presence of women in Indian politics: some subtle and others
readily apparent. Closely observing politics in India will help us
understand further why it is that women are missing from
politics," the book said.
"Traditional patriarchal attitudes regard women as physically,
intellectually and socially inferior to men. As a result, women in
India face many social restrictions as well as a plethora of
expectations and assumptions," it said.
Kumari said the disparity between men and women starts right from
childhood.
"Inequality starts at childhood and shapes the future of society
and a woman's place within it. Due to these inequalities, men in
society do not view women as valuable components of
decision-making structures and, as a consequence, women are forced
to subscribe to the very same view," she stresses.
"Beyond the immediate family, there are extended family members,
neighbours and entire communities to confront, all of whom have
some kind of stereotype or preconception of what a woman's role
should be and decide what is and what is not acceptable," the book
said.
Kumari also said as a girl child's education is not given
preference over a male child's, a woman's growth in politics gets
hindered. She points out that political parties are reluctant to
support a woman against a male candidate.
Of the larger states in India (having more than 20 seats in the
Lok Sabha), Madhya Pradesh has the highest percentage of women MPs
(21 percent), followed by West Bengal (17 percent) and Uttar
Pradesh (15 percent).
In the state assemblies too, women's representation is poor.
According to PRS Legislative Research, a research body that seeks
to strengthen the legislative process by making it better
informed, more transparent and participatory, Karnataka and
Meghalaya have only two percent women legislators.
They are followed by Maharashtra (four), Tripura (five), Bihar
(10), Haryana (10), Chattisgarh (11), West Bengal (13) and
Rajasthan (14), according to figures applicable till March 2010.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat said:
"I believe that there are many more women in politics, but the
large number is not reflected either in party hierarchy, elected
representatives or decision making bodies.
"This gap is a poor reflection on India's democracy because it is
not the question of bringing women in politics as a policy but not
bringing them in politics is discrimination."
Kumari's book says in India, the largest democracy, women make up
10 percent of parliament. India has prominent women leaders in
President Pratibha Patil, United Progressive Alliance chairperson
Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Opposition leader
Sushma Swaraj.
Citing the ratio in other countries, Kumari said in Britain,
women's presence in parliament is 17.12 percent, while in the US
Senate, it is 13.6 percent. She said women's representation in the
Nordic countries is the highest.
"Tangible steps for the future centre around the affirmative
actions such as the women's reservation bill in India and their
successful implementation," said the book, being brought out by
Har-Anand Publications and is priced at Rs.595.
"Women should, and will, have an equal share in politics: they
cannot continue to be subjugated, disrespected and ignored."
The bill, which was first introduced as the Constitution (81st
Amendment) Bill Sep 12, 1996, is expected to be considered by the
Lok Sabha in the current budget session. It is now called the
Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill 2010. It seeks to reserve for
women one-third the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
"What is advocated here is not female hegemony, but a democracy
that is truly egalitarian where both men and women are equal
partners in moulding our nation," concludes Kumari.
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