Not All For One

  • Shilpy Arora / FG
  • India
  • Apr 07, 2014

 

 

Life at the Bus Stand in ‘old’ Gurgaon was just stirring. The flag of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was waving in the cool breeze. Party Chief Mayawati was in town. Vidya (name changed), 26, who runs a tea stall across the road, was very excited. "Mayawati is one of the most outspoken and strong women politicians in the country. Her visit to Gurgaon is a symbol of the growing importance of the City and its people in national politics. This transformation is surely going to benefit women in Gurgaon," she said. She was hopeful that the situation for women would improve if a woman candidate were to represent her area. Many women now, even from the lower-middle class and semi-literate backgrounds, seem to have an active view on politics. As women constitute more than 49 per cent of the voters in the country, they can play an important role in shaping the future of politics – and of governance. It is therefore time to separately understand women voters and the issues that are of specific importance to them.

Although there may be a huge contrast in the living conditions and voting patterns of urban and rural women, women in general face some common challenges - even as voters. Most women even now are influenced by the male members in their families. Many times they are even dependent on male members for casting their vote. Vidya's mother-in-law, Rati Devi, doesn't feel that a woman can understand politics well enough, and so feels that it is better to follow the man in the family. "Awoman can never understand politics. My grandson tells me which symbol to vote for and I simply press the button," she said. Karuna Singh, who has been working for the Jago Re campaign, to spread awareness amongst voters to choose the right candidate, threw more light on this phenomenon. "Women going only by what their men say men say is undoubtedly a dangerous trend in a democracy. Most families have been voting for one Party traditionally, " he said. Besides, caste still plays an important role. Vidya explained, "My father has always supported the candidates from our caste. I think that you can relate to the candidate if he/she belongs to your caste and gender. Mayawati has worked a lot for our community in Uttar Pradesh. We should give her a chance here too." When asked about her views on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Vidya said that if AAP chooses a candidate who belongs to her caste, she might hit the Broom button. Unfortunately, caste politics is so deep-rooted in the mindset of people that new entrants find it hard to break through. Daya, a volunteer at AAP, said, "While caste seems to be a major factor in influencing voters in Gurgaon District, I think that women voters can bring about the change. It is a woman who has to manage the day-to-day operations and finances at home. She should vote for a Party that she feels is serious about bringing down food and other prices."

For Muslim women the situation seems worse. Farida, 36, a resident of Islampur, has never exercised her right to vote, as she doesn't even have a Voter ID card. Very few women in her Village have one. "The men here don't allow their women to remove their veils, which makes it impossible for them to have a photo taken," she said.  Asif, a Volunteer with the Jago Re campaign, has been trying to spread the awareness about women’s voting rights. "In Islam a woman can reveal her face for a legal purpose, in the presence of her husband. While married women are not permitted to look into the eyes of another man, they can surely look into the camera to get a photograph taken. Unfortunately the male-dominated society interprets religion as per their purpose, and so the women are not able to get a Voter ID card or a Driving Licence or a Passport. More than 80 per cent of the women in this area therefore don't vote," he said.  Last year Asif had convinced 30 families  to allow their women to get their photographs  taken (in the presence of their husbands). The civic facilities in the Village are pathetic. There is only one government school, where the girl dropout rate is 100 per cent by the 6th or 7th Standard. Most of the children go to Madarsas, where the girls and boys study in different batches. “There is a common toilet for boys and girls in the local school, and so we don't feel safe sending our daughters there. The problem is that nobody raises these issues during elections and so no change also takes place," said Nasreen (name changed) - who had her election card made during the last Assembly elections, thanks to the Jago Re campaign.

Most parties have raised women’s security in urban areas as a major issue. AAP in fact has a dedicated webpage for women's safety, wherein the Party is encouraging people to sign up for its ‘women's security force’ or join their volunteer groups in colleges and societies; these will act as citizen-run forces to help victims of crime and also encourage women to report cases of violence. "It is perhaps the first time that political parties have made women's rights the centrepiece of their political manifestos. It manifests the success of the women's safety movement, which started after the Delhi gang-rape," said Karuna. However, the irony is that even modern, financially well-off and educated women, who should certainly be able to make intelligent electoral decisions, feel that their vote will not make a difference. A 37-year-old, working as a Corporate Communication Manager at an MNC, said, "With April 10th (Election Day) being a Thursday, we have the opportunity of a long weekend (to get away). And anyway I don't think that any Party can run this country effectively." She has voted only twice so far. Even many young adults are not taking interest in politics; they also don't feel the urge to vote, because they have never had any active discussion about politics within the family or friends’ circle. Many have never seen their parents going out to cast their votes. Is it therefore any wonder that the interests of the upper-middle class are always sidelined by the politicians?

Despite women representing 49 per cent of the voters, women's representation is politics is extremely poor. "You can't preach women's liberation when you don't practice it within your own Party. I think that the representation of women in a Party shows its seriousness to address women-related issues," felt Garima Thakur, a resident of Cyber Greens. Another issue is that even the women who are today in politics don't sufficiently raise their voice for women. “We need women politicians who are proudly 'feminist'. They need to strongly represent women," felt Karuna. However, women's issues should not be limited to just electoral manifestos; they need to be highlighted as issues concerning everyone. To become a true democracy, we would have to give women equal opportunities and representation at all levels. There are many who feel that women, especially mothers, are inherently better and can bring about change more effectively in our country. Women voters need to show their approval by voting accordingly – even if it is at variance with the ‘male’ choice or diktat at home. Women have been, and are, different…and special. While ‘aadmis’ should rightfully feel ‘aam’, ‘aurats’ need to now stamp their ‘khaasiyat’.

 

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