India’s law and policy need women’s perspectives
Every demographic group in India has a lobby. But women have no political potency as they are highly fragmented
Ninety percent of the Lok Sabha that legislated the Good and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins in 2016 had never had a period. Surrogacy was legislated by those for whom pregnancy is an impossibility. Instant Triple Talaq had not one Muslim woman voting.
Law and policy in India are in dire need of women’s perspectives. Lived experiences are so divergent and distinct on many issues that men cannot represent women. The same also argues for a diversity of women themselves in the Houses. Women must have half the seats at the highest political tables simply because they are half the population. Still, 67 years later, with barely 10% women Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAS) & Members of Parliament (MPS), the bugle for a Women’s Reservation Bill inexorably sounds since patience for organic improvement has worn down to a nub. Quota is what women need against party men’s usurpations.
In a nation where every demographic has a caste or community lobby, women, though comprising 50%, have no political potency since they are disaggregated. India is one of those few democracies without a caucus for advancing women’s political power. This is when initiatives like Shakti step in. A national, non partisan and inclusive citizen’s collective, it has a singular goal of increasing the number of women MLAS and MPS. Working across ideologies, caste, class and religious differences, it is a volunteer-led platform conducting events to promote the cause across the country. The Call Your MPS campaign on December 27 was a historic first, which saw farmers, corporate women, rape survivors, students, rehabilitated manual scavengers, women in media, civil society, domestic workers etc., ring all MPS across India to pass a Women’s Reservation Bill. 127 of the 130 that answered said yes and, indeed, they raised it in the Winter Session but were not entertained. A Call Women MLAS campaign followed on January 21. 105 of the 112 women MLAS who responded admitted that 50% should be the norm.
Dialogues between the public and their elected representatives are a rare exercise in participatory democracy. Citizens raising the demand is the bare minimum for change, and pressure tactics make parties aware that voters are watching. They also embolden aspiring women politicians.
The way forward is multipronged: shaping women voters as a bloc; exhorting political parties; and capacitating women in elections. There is no unitary solution and delivering women’s political representation is entirely up to India. How badly do we want alternatives to today’s toxic politics? What are we willing to do about it? While not trying is definite failure, sustained grassroots movements that echo across India may seem like a butterfly flapping its wings today, but could trigger a tsunami in the political landscape tomorrow.