Women, real kingmakers in HP
DHARAMSHALA : Even though they are the real kingmakers, the women in Himachal have gotten a raw deal despite all the talk of greater representation and women’s empowerment by all major political parties.
The voting trends in the assembly election held in the last two decades (five assembly elections) show that women voters have outnumbered men in all the elections, playing a crucial role in electing the government.
Himachal has a total of 55,92,828, electors, of whom 28,54,945 are men, and 27,37,845 are women, which is 48.95% of the total electorate.
There are two constituencies Bhoranj in Hamirpur district (41,266 men and 41,472 women voters) and Jubbal-kotkhai (36,468 men and 36894 women) in Shimla district, where there are more women electors than men. In the 16 constituencies, their number is almost equal to the men’s voters.
The arch-rivals, the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, and even the new entrant AAP have promised sops for the women voters.
In the 1998 assembly elections, which went down to a wire with both parties failing to get to the majority, the poll percentage for women was 72.1% compared to 70.2% for men. It was also the election when a maximum of six women candidates were elected to the 68-member house out of 25 in the fray.
In the next election in 2003, the women again outnumbered their men counterparts with a voter turnout of 75.92% against 73.14% for men. The trend continued
POLLING PERCENTAGE
Since 1998 assembly elections, more women voters have exercised their franchise then men in the hill state Women Men
72.21
1998
2003
2007
2012
2017
75.92
74.01
76.20
77.92 in the 2007, 2012 and 2017 assembly elections.
In 2007, the female voter turnout was 74.01%, while the men voter turnout dropped to 68.36%. A total of 25 women candidates were in the fray that year, of which five were elected.
The highest number of 34 women candidates were in the fray in the 2012 state assembly elections, however, only three managed to sail through, even as the female voters again outnumbered men. The polling
71.23
73.14
68.36
69.39
70.58 percentage for women rose to 76.2%, while it was 69.39% for men.
In the last assembly election, which was held in 2017, the women voters’ turnout was 77.92%, whereas the men were again way behind with a polling percentage of 70.58%.
In the hill state, the women became more visible in local Panchayati raj and civic bodies after the reservation of the 50% seats for them but it’s the men who still run the show from behind the curtains.
Promises galore for women
While the opposition Congress has promised every adult woman a monthly allowance of ₹1,500, and to strengthen the women’s self-help groups, the AAP promised ₹1,000 monthly allowances for women as “Stree Samman Rashi”.
The BJP went a step ahead and released a separate manifesto for women.
The Saffron Party has promised 33% reservation in jobs and educational institutions for them, ₹25,000 for pregnant women, bicycles for school-going girl students and scooters for those pursuing higher studies. Sakshi Verma, a resident of Chamba, who is pursuing her graduation, says that the political parties talk big about women’s empowerment but won’t give them a ticket in the assembly elections as the patriarchal mindset is still prevalent. “Politics is still considered a field for men, and parties give a lame excuse of winnability criteria,” she said.