33% reservation mere tokenism, say women
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan assembly passed a resolution calling for 33% reservation to women in parliament and state assemblies. However, women politicians and activists called the move a mere tokenism, saying women are getting a raw deal because of the society’s patriarchal mindset.
In the assembly, the resolution was moved by the lone woman minister in the state cabinet, a reflection of the ground situation regarding women’s participation.
The Rajasthan assembly has 200 members, of whom only 24 or 12% are women. The state council of ministers has 25 members with only one woman minister.
While parties have supported increasing women’s participation and empowerment, it has remained a little more than lip service.
At the national level, the women’s reservation bill has been brought three times in parliament but has lapsed each time.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi had during the assembly election campaign stated his intention to increase women’s participation in politics and give them more representation.
However the intention did not translate into reality. Of the 195 seats on which the Congress contested in the assembly election, the party gave tickets to 27 women. The Congress with its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, won 100 seats. Of these, only 12 seats were won by women.
During discussion on the resolution in the House, leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria asked why the Congress had not given 33% tickets to women in the assembly election.
Deputy leader of opposition in the assembly Rajendra Rathore said the Congress should first fix the ratio of women members in the cabinet. To which the lone woman minister, Mamata Bhupesh, said the Congress had given the country its first woman prime minister and first president.
The representation of women in politics remains inadequate. The Congress has 165 members in its state executive, of whom 29 are women. Of its 39 district units, only one woman is a district unit president.
State Congress women’s cell president Rehana Riyaz said, “It takes time to bring change. It’s difficult to change a convention or practice all at once.” She added, “Congress is giving more and more seats to women.”
PUCL national general secretary Kavita Srivastav welcomed the resolution passed in the assembly, saying it was a good political move.
She was though critical of the government for giving place to only one woman in the cabinet. “Chief minister Ashok Gehlot should give one-third posts to women in the cabinet and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot should have 33% women in decision-making bodies.”
The BJP, which has set aside 33% posts in the organisation for women, fares worse than the Congress. During the assembly elections, it gave 23 of 200 tickets to women candidates. Of these, 10 women won. Of the 103 mem- bers in the BJP’S state executive, only 10 are women. The party has no woman district president in its 42 units.
Defending the party, state BJP women’s cell president Madhu Sharma said it was the BJP government that brought 50% reservat i o n o n p a nchayats for women.
“We gave the state its first woman chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, who was also the first president of the state unit.”
She added, “It is the BJP that stands for women empowerment. The Congress is only doing drama by bringing in the resolution.”
Suman Devathiya of the Dalit Mahila Adhika Manch said reservation to women is only tokenism. “There is no space for vocal, independent-minded women. Leaders only encourage women who are submissive.”
She said women from politically influential families have an advantage over women coming from non-political families. “Common women have to struggle hard to make a place for themselves.”
Former women’s commission chairperson and BJP leader Suman Sharma said there’s little concern among political parties on this issue. “Economic and social empowerment of women won’t help till they are politically empowered,” she said.