WOMEN'S POLITICAL STATUS: PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS

WOMEN’S POLITICAL STATUS: PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS By Dr. Mridula Sharda Associate Professor, RGGDC, Chaura Maidan, Shimla mridulasharda@yahoo.in Woman is the companion of man gifted with equal mental capacities. She has right to participate in every minute detail in the activities of man and she has equal right of freedom and liberty with him. She is entitled to a supreme place in her own sphere of activity as man in his .This ought to be natural condition of things and not as result only of learning to read and write. Mahatma Gandhi1* It is generally agreed upon by all social scientists that the course, direction and pace of all human progress in the next few decades will be determined by the empowerment and enablement of women. Empowerment stands for gaining of power by the vulnerable sections in diverse sectors. Women empowerment is not merely a process of empowering the women to decide their own destiny. It is a process that has immense importance for the coming generations. Women being the centre of the social and economic activities in all the societies their empowerment will develop a sound base for the sustainable development. It is a necessary and desirable step towards comprehensive and sustainable development of the society. In the present world half of the total population of the world is comprised of the women. Biologically too it is unthinkable to have the existence of the humanity without female. In all the spheres women contribute immensely in developed and developing countries. In the developing countries where the entire set up is more or less traditional, human capital has still a dominant role. ‘Women in developing countries are major resource in agriculture, food production and rural development, as evidenced by their numerical proportions, their share of labour is particularly significant in view of the fact in many cases they perform their agriculture work in addition to long and arduous work in child care, household maintenance, cooking etc’(Kumar2002:25). Still she is denied her genuine place in the society despite her immense contribution in all spheres of the society. ‘Women as a whole share unequally the fruits of their labour because of the persistent discrimination. They constitute a majority of the world’s poor and continue to suffer disadvantages in education, health and employment’ (Rao 2000:4). It is evident from her share in the political power in the various states of the world. According to Nelson (1997) Political systems, whatever the ideology, form and mobilisation capacity, rest virtually on the exclusion or marginalisation of the women from formal politics’( Nelson 1997:115). Gender Development Index indicates women situation at the international level: female mortality rate, Child Sex Ratio (CSR), illiteracy - all these factors indicate the plight of the women in the present conditions. According to MS. Hillary Clinton, “the women community of the world has a common language called silence.” It shows how the community suffers world over. Poverty among the female also indicates their powerlessness. World poverty has been created and is kept going chiefly (though not only) by the abuse of power: abuse of power in international trade, debt, investment and aid as in national politics, and use of power in the treatment of poor people by the rich and women by men. These abuses are possible because poor countries, poor people and women do not have the power to stop them. In the present situation, in-equalities have been institutionalised from the international level to the local level. Carle Short, British Minister for International Development said, “Governments are not going to be pro poor. The global system of inequalities in power begins at the bottom. The relation of domination and subordination at the micro level; local levels of society makes possible the global systems of inequalities of power’ (Dianne Otto 1966:134 quoted in Nelson1997:19). In Hindu mythology woman is considered power. Empirically it is felt the status of women in Indian society is dynamic in nature. In the early period she was treated equal to the male (early Vedic period). Rigvedic verses suggest that women married at mature age and were probably free to select their husband .However, later, approximately in around 500 B.C., the status of women began to decline with the Manusamiriti and other religious texts curtailing women’s freedom and rights’(Muthalagu 200:18-22) . Later on her status declined with the rising complexities in the socio-economic-political and cultural system of the country. For centuries together she has been treated as a commodity rather than a human being in the system. She lacks her share in the political economic and social system. Her powerless status has pushed her into a situation where she failed to take her position in different fields effectively. At the national level statistical data indicates her vulnerable position. According to Gender Development index (GDI) in India: out of total poor 70% are women; while they contribute 60% to the unorganised sector in the country their share in the income is only 10% of the total; mortality rate is higher among the women as compared to males; Child Sex Ratio(CSR) which is declining at the national level 914 in 2011 which is 0.8 lesser than 2001, in some of the states where GDP is higher as compared to the national level (North India) the CSR is lower than national level (census 2011) . Her share in the decision making process through formal political institutions also indicates her political status. In the National Parliament and in the state Legislatures the total representation has never exceeded 10% accept 2009 Parliamentary elections. Discrimination against the girls in India exists in all sectors, particularly in education, health and employment .An adverse sex ratio, higher mal- nutrition, maternal morbidity and mortality, low school enrolment, higher dropout rates, low skill levels with low value at work together indicate the discrimination against the women in different sectors’ ( Aggarwal 1996:213). Although, through Seventy Third and Fourth Amendments, provision of 33% reservation have been made for women in PRIs and Municipalities. In addition in 2009,from 33% to 50 % reservation in total has been given to the women candidates in the local institutions. Political parties always champion the cause of women in their agenda but in practice they do not take effective steps to empower the women. It is evident from the allocation of tickets to the women candidates in the Parliamentary and State Legislature elections. Keeping in mind all these issues, an attempt has been made in the paper to analyse the political status of women in Indian society and to find out the various reasons behind difference between perception and practices in regard to political empowerment of the women .The rationale of taking up this issue is Indian woman has been rendered equality of status in the Constitution and government at the national level and states’ level formulated many women development oriented policies in various sectors; after sixty seven years of the Independence inequalities are pervasive in every field on the basis of gender disparities. Argument to support the effective women participation in formal power structures is; without giving her genuine share in the political power it is impossible to think of her inclusive empowerment along with sustainable development. True democracy is feasible if the half of the population gets its fair share in power system at the various levels. According to Rawls a just society includes equal basic liberty, fair equality of opportunity and substantive equality, built on the principles that differences in the treatment of people are permissible only when the differences help those people who are disadvantaged in society’ ( quoted in Nelson 1997:13). Women’s participation in the political life dates back to the early twentieth century, when organisations such as Women’s India Association(WIA), the National Council of Indian Women(NICW),and the All India Women’s Conference(AIWC) were formed in 1917,1926 and 1927 respectively. All these organisations concerned themselves with eradicating the social problems of women and educating them...The largest involvement of women in the national struggle did not, however, come from WIA, or the AIWC, both of which remained confined to the intelligentsia. Women from all walks of life flocked to the national struggle in response to Gandhi’s call, in civil disobedience actions and in symbolic gestures of protest such as the Salt Satyagraha (Ray2012:521). Independence movement brought the two streams of politically involved women together - the elite and the masses, - who both participated in the struggle for independence...Independence brought women constitutional guarantee of justice, liberty and equality in the form of the fundamental rights and directive principles of the constitution (Nelson 1997:367-68). The basic principle of equality was carried over into the constitution. Equality between sexes was established in the constitutional law, although not all the anomalies and discrimination were in practice were eradicated and woman in independent India continued to be victims of several forms of discrimination in and out of home (Ray 2012:521). The colonial heritage of poverty, unemployment, deprivation of basic needs such as adequate nutrition, health services, sanitation etc. have not been eradicated; nay some of them have been accentuated (Desai 1987:43). All these developments differentiate between the pre-independence and post-independence women political activities. In India before independence women constituted 10%of those jailed for anti British activities. In the first four decades after independence, however women have never held more than8 % seats (till early 90s) in the lok Sabha. In the last two decades women’s representation was increased to 9.25% it was easier to get arrested for supporting democracy than it is to get elected to the democratic institutions that Indian nationalist fighting to obtain (Nelson 1997:15). Political parties and women empowerment: Indian politics in the pre independence and post independence period till 1989 has been dominated by Congress and known as ‘one party dominant’ system. Party leadership was with the Nehru-Gandhi family. Mrs Indira Gandhi who led the party and remained Prime Minister of the country was not able to create space for women in the formal political institutions. Her own entry in the politics and position in the party owed to her family position. 2* A Number of women Parliamentarians remained stagnant during her leadership. Table 1 reveals (Appendix), the number of women in the national Parliament remains low, the average for the total 16 Lok Sabhas since 1952 elections being a merely 629 that constitute approx. 11% of the total elected members of all the Parliaments (1952-2014). She was not keen to develop or grow second generation women leadership in the party. After one dominant party system India entered into the era of multi-party system. In eighties ‘second generation’ parties emerged at the national level. These parties were organised on the basis of sub-national interests known as state parties or regional parties. They provided space to the marginalised sections of the societies (minorities, scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes). ‘Since the 1980s, a number of developments have introduced some change. Democratic democratisation and rising level of politicisation, particularly in Hindi heartland; improved literacy levels; decline of Congress party and emergence of regional, backward and Dalit based parties and improved levels of growth in the states, have provided avenues to women’(Pai 2012-13:107-21). Some of them are headed by the women leaders: Trinamool Congress (Mamata Banerjee), AIADMK (Jayalalita), and BSP known as the party of marginalised sections headed by Mayawati. Besides women leadership of these parties, the oldest national party Congress is also headed by Mrs Sonia Gandhi. In spite of all this, women have a meagre role within the power structure of parties in the present. Except the few women having the key positions in the parties, the women’s wing of such parties have been at the margin for the most part, leaving women outside the party power structure’ (Nelson 1997:369). Female politicians acquire their political positions “mainly through certain ascriptive channels“: most of the times it is the women of considerable economic means and members of prominent political families” (Roy1999:VI,for more details see Pai 2012-13).3* Women membership in any party does not exceed 10 to 12%. In September 1971 a committee on the status of women was appointed to look into the women condition: Reviewing women political participation, the committee recommended that though they constituted a numerical majority, they were slowly acquiring the features of a minority group because of inequalities of status and political power (Nelson1997:369). This statement based on the evaluation of the political scenario forty year back is still true. Although, women’s issues acquired centre stage since 1975 at the international as well as national level, there is no appreciable change but in the political status of the women. Women voter turnout has increased with the passage of time at all levels. Yet their numerical strength in formal political structures is almost stagnant for the last two decades except in PRIs. In general elections women’s issues by and large receive scant attention. ‘The election campaign for the recent elections 2009 was largely devoid of any discussion of women’s issues despite the greater visibility granted to (or gained by) women in Indian society. In the present Lok Sabha the total number of women members is sixty two. The BJP’s score comes to the higher, women MPs out of the fifty eight contestants, twenty eight are from the BJP. Party fielded thirty five candidates. The Trinamool Congress(TMC) comes second with eleven out of twenty four candidates emerging victorious. Out of the total 8163 candidates 636 women contested the election across the country, in 2009. 556 candidates(6.9 percent) contested the election, out of these elected candidates in 2014 some of them belong to those who have political background. Sonia Gandhi, Menka Gandhi Dimple Yadav, Harsmirat Badal, Sushma Swaraj and Poonam Mahajan et.al. Common women have meagre share in the political power. Political parties during the election campaign propagate 33percent reservation for the women in the national and State Legislature. But the numerical strength among the Parliamentarians indicates difference between the perception and the practices of the political leaders. Half of the population is represented by the 11 percent in the Parliament by the women candidates. Under representation of the women also reflect that women issues represented more by their male counterparts,(Sharda:June 2014, 30-45). None of the political parties encouraged more participation of women in electoral politics or tried to develop a women’s constituency in a serious manner’ (Deshpande, 2009: 83-87). This observation of Deshpande puts a question mark on the reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Today after five elections of PRIs in all the states, the total number of women representatives has reached more than one million in comparison women representation in the state legislatures and Parliament is stagnant. The patriarchal and male dominant formal power structures are not interested in enhancing the women leadership qualitatively and quantitatively at the states’ and national level. Women and mass movements: Although the women happen to be the most vulnerable section of the Indian society, they have nevertheless happen to be actively participated in the movements launched for social ecological and some way to change the production relations. Contemporary women’s movements in India are the most visible and assertive expression in challenging the established political, economic and cultural order (for more details see Hauser inJayal 2001:265)4*. According to Myron Weiner: “The concept of political participation refers to any voluntary action, successful or unsuccessful organised or unorganised episodic or continuous, employing legitimate or illegitimate methods intended to influence the choice of public policies the administration of public affairs, or the choice of public leaders at any level of government, local or nation,”(quoted in Kunjakkam2002:379).The Telangana movement, the total revolution of Jayaparkash Narayan, Chipko Movement to save the trees, Narmada Bachao Andolan to save Narmada river and current movement to save the female(Nirbhaya rape case 16th Dec.2012 ).Diverse nature of these movements indicates the women is considerate about her ecology. She has capabilities to lead. Women’s position in these movement and her position in formal political institutions and her role in decision making clearly indicate that the women is not able to reach the formal power structures. Main reasons behind the contemporary system are existing production relations, family and public patriarchy in the public institutions dominance of males. Himachal Pradesh Electoral Politics and women Women constitute around 49% of the total population of the state. Their Literacy rate is 74% that is 4% less than the male literacy rate in the state. Sex ratio is 976 which is higher than the sex ratio of the country. Child Sex Ratio is 906(2011) which is less than national CSR. Women participation in PRIs is 65 %( in 2010 PRI elections) that is more than 50% which is given through statutory provisions by the Govt. of Himachal Pradesh before 2010 PRIs elections. In comparison to the neighbouring states; the state has better female literacy rate, less child female mortality rate (43) and better number of female work force. On the bases of these indicators it seems the state has less gender disparity. The State Legislative Elections give a different picture which indicates the gender bias in the political arena. Since 1967 average women contestant number between 1967-1990 was less than nine. After 1990 average number of contestant rose to 15.5. Reason behind the increasing number can be reservation for women in PRIs and demand for women empowerment. A trend of winning candidates in comparison to the rise of the contestant is not satisfactory. Difference between contestant in pre-90 and post 90 is 6.5 and difference between winning candidates is (4.20-2.5)1.70. In 2012 Legislative Elections total women contestant was 33. Out of total 33 women candidates four candidates were backed by the Congress and seven by the BJP rest of the candidates were independent. In independent candidates 90% candidates were associated with the PRIs. They were not able to get more than five hundred votes. The data clearly indicates the plight of the women in the state and national politics. Political parties are least interested to encourage the women participation in the national and state politics. Socio- economic profile of all the three winning candidates in HP (2012) Assembly elections indicates that they have political cleavages and belong to the higher class of the society. Inferences on the basis of data and observation is common women’s participation in the political activities is confined to the voting right. They have little role at the decision making level. These developments also strengthens the view that the women remain more or less on the periphery of the political arena...Very few women capture seat of power...Although, evidence is not lacking to prove that that women legislator are aware of the problems of the people in general and women of particular and have proved their worth in spite of the constraints of rules of the house and party (quoted in Desai and Krishanraj1987:309).Poor representation of women in the formal power structures indicate that Indian democracy is stratified democracy. It represents the male strata and male interests. Rising disparities on the basis of gender led to the growth of inequalities. These developments indicate lack of women representation in decision making is also a thread to the coming generations. That can also be the cause of demographic imbalance in the society (Based on the HP Assembly Election Reports)5*. Findings of woman empowerment Despite the achievements of an elite few women, as a whole women have been under-represented throughout India in both appointed and elected positions; they have minimum powers within the parties; and they participate in elections as candidates and voters with less frequency than men. Since 1995 in the Parliamentary elections along with Himachal Pradesh State Legislative elections 2012 also proves that there is little change in the political status of the women at the national and states level. Overall dependence status of the woman in Indian society kept her on the back seat of the power. The gender relation of dominance and subordination is a political relation that derives material sustenance from conditions and structures of production and that derives its legitimacy from a traditional culture that upholds the subordination. Indian women psyche that is over powered by the patriarchal values still consider active participation of women in structured political institutions as stigma. They have not yet asserted their right to complete independence (positive freedom) from the traditional understanding of women’s role. Dichotomy between the involvement of the women in mass movements and formal power structures indicate that woman has potential and will to change the existing patterns in the socio-economic and political set up. But they face problems due to their in-capacity to understand the set up. Patriarchy is the other hindrance. Reservation under the Seventy Third & fourth Amendment clearly indicates the difference between perception and practices in the Indian society and political leadership at the national and states’ level.. One million women entered in the political arena at the local level. But their role is limited to the local levels. Neither political parties nor the mass of the women are ready to bear the challenge of sharing the power at the national and states level. It proves that their political and social choices are stereo- type and confined to reproduction and rearing the family. Women representation has been stagnant for the last two decades while voter turnout increased. It indicates that besides change in the economic policy, democratic decentralisation women representation at the decision making level is stagnant. In organised or un-organised mass movements women have persistently and actively participated. They registered their presence in the political arena though these movements. Hindrances in women empowerment Despite legislative steps, prejudices, traditional attitudes and practices continue to perpetuate discrimination against women. On the basis of the efforts of the government it is evident that these efforts are piecemeal efforts. Socio economic institutions and processes are dominated by traditional ethos; without de-constructing those it is not easy to reconstruct the society on the basis of gender equality. Although, India has made tremendous development in the diverse fields since independence; but lack of education and lack of knowledge about the intricacies of party politics among non elite women have limited their participation in the formal political structures and processes. Role of money, corruption in politics and growing violence against the women have also considered being many potential threads to political empowerment. Lack of political will to empower the women. From national level to the local level in all the political institutions decision-making process is dominated by the male folk that are not encouraging to the political empowerment of the women. They are not interested to empower the women. In the present it is evident from the Five Year plan documents. On the basis of perusal of 11th Plan and 12th Plan Action programme it is evident that explicitly the objective of the women empowerment has not been set as the goal (Kumar2002:20).Woman in Development (WID) approach has drawback of treating women as target for development. Globalisation has affected the women empowerment negatively. Capital intensive technology led to the more unemployment among the women. Unskilled labour force has little chances of employment in capital intensive technology. Rising growth rate and rising disparities indicate that national governments and state governments are not able to keep a co-relation between the growth and equity. States like Gujarat, Bihar, Odisha and Himachal have higher growth rate and poverty reduction is not satisfactory. Remedies for real empowerment of the women The goal of women’s empowerment is not just to change hierarchical gender relations but to change all hierarchical relations in society, class, caste, race, ethnic, north-South relations. From these perspectives women empowerment is possible if it is based on the holistic approach. Piecemeal approach that has been adopted by the GOI from time to time has not been able to meet the needs of women empowerment. Inter-sectoral approach should be adopted. Steps should be taken to empower the women in economic –political-social fields along with government efforts to de-construct those institutions which pose challenge to the women empowerment. Poor women also need fundamental changes in power relations, at all levels from the global to the local level also need transformation in the structures which hold them down. They need radical changes in law, property rights and other institutions that perpetuate men’s control over them. Political will is very important to give real shape to the political empowerment. Political parties should set a quota for women candidates to make women political rights more functional and to give women more opportunities to participate in the formal political processes. An inclusive policy programme should be evolved by the government to develop women capabilities. With the development of women capabilities the process of self empowerment will take place .It will be the mile stone in the field of the woman empowerment. It is one of the major obstacles in the empowerment of women who are poorest among the poor. APPENDIX Table1 Representation of women in the Indian parliament from 1st to 15th Lok Sabha LokSabha lections(Yr) Total Number Of Seats Total Number Of Women Members Percentage Of Women Members 1952 489 24 4.91 1957 494 24 4.86 1962 494 36 7.29 1967 520 32 6.15 1971 521 27 5.18 1977 544 21 3.86 S1980 544 32 5.88 1984 544 45 8.27 1989 529 28 5.29 1991 509 42 8.25 1996 541 41 7.58 1998 545 44 8.07 1999 543 52 9.58 2004 543 52 9.58 2009 543 61 11.05 Total 7903 560 7.08 Source: Election Commission Report 2009 References and notes: Aggarwal,S.P.& J.C.Aggarwal. ed., Second survey of women’s Education in 198o-1994. (New Delhi: Concept publishing Co.1996). Census Report 2011Published by Govt.of India. Desai,Neera. & Maithreyi Krishanraj. Women Society In India (New Delhi: Ajanta publications1987). Deshpande, Rajeshwar. “How did Women Vote In Lok Sabha Elections 2009?,” EPW Vol. XLIV No.39, Sept.-Oct.2 2009 83-87. Hauser,Walter and Wendy Singer. “The Democratic Rite: Celebrations and Participation in the Indian Elections.” in Niraja Gopal Jayal. Democracy In India. ( New Delhi: Oxford Univ. Press 2001). Kumar, Anu. Empowering Women. (New Delhi: Swarup Sons,2002). KunjKkan , Feminism Indian Realities. (New Delhi: N.D.Mittal Publishers 2002). Sharda, Mridula. “General Elections2014: Reflections of Indian Democracy” in Vidhanmals June 2014, Published by Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. Muthalagu,Dr.K. “Indian Women In Development Perspective.” in Kurukshetra, September,2008. Nelson. Barbara, &Najma Chaudhary ed. Women and Politics World Wide, (New Delhi: Oxford Univ. Press 1997). Pai, Sudha. “From Dynasty To Legitimacy Women Leaders In Indian Politics.” in IIC ,Quarterly Vol. No. 3&4 2012-13,107-21. Roy. Kalpna, Women In Indian politics,( New Delhi: Rajat publications 1999). Notes 1*For detail see M.K. Gandhi, Woman Role In Society Compiled by R.K Prabhu,(Ahemdabad: Navjivan Publication, 1959). 2*Sudha Pai called this entry ‘dynastic position’ for more details see Sudha Pai,Op.cit., 107-21. 3* In the same article she has extensively dealt with emerging women leadership in the states and their influence on the national political configurations. 4* For more details see Hauser,Walter and Wendy Singer. “The Democratic Rite: Celebrations and Participation in the Indian Elections.” in Niraja Gopal Jayal. Democracy In India. ( New Delhi: Oxford Univ. Press 2001).. 5* Himachal’s electoral politics has been taken up due to its better position among the states on the basis of development indicators. 14