(This story was first published on 8 March 2017 and has been reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day)
In an extremely diverse country like India, inclusivity of all sections of society, big or small, is critically important. The foremost demand of inclusivity in our democracy certainly is to give equality to women – our largest minority.
When India chose to become a democratic republic, we started off by giving equal voting rights to women on day one – a fact which looks hugely significant when compared to the fact that US had taken 144 years and UK exactly 100! But women are way behind when it comes to active participation in the electoral process.
Today, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the chief ministers of two states in India are women. Just a few years ago, we had a female President and five women chief ministers who all were very efficient. But the empowerment at the top has not trickled down. There are obstacles that hinder the engagement of women in the election process.
The hindrances include traditional and cultural barriers and social norms that are compounded by gender stereotypes, illiteracy, lack of awareness, lack of motivation, safety and security issues including intimidation from males and inability to step out of their roles as mothers, wives and homemakers.