Women In Politics

Political Empowerment of women is the key to unlock the true potential of women. Participation in politics not only enhances their self esteem but also increases their say in decision-making in their own families.

Only 10 out of 190 countries in the world have women Prime Ministers, Chancellors or alike. In India, Indira Gandhi, Pratibha Patil, Sushma Swaraj, Sonia Gandhi among others have made their presence strongly felt in politics. However, the representation of women in the Parliament languishes at around 10 percent. The Women Reservation Bill has been pending in the Parliament for nearly a decade now. No wonder then that the issues concerning women takes a back seat in the Parliament. The situation in State Legislatures is not too different either.

In the third tier, the constitution of India has indeed reserved seats for women in the local bodies. But the participation of women in Gram Sabha has been marred by what is called as the Panchayat Pati Syndrome wherein their husbands participate on their behalf.

The women reservation bill should be passed at the earliest. It should be made mandatory for political parties to field at least, lets say 25% of their candidates from the women community. In order to fill the legislative vacuum in the policies concerning women, it is important to increase their presence in the corridors of politics.