Representatives from the BJP, INC, JD(S), and CPM come together to work towards common goal
BY : Husna Rizwan
In a day-long event at Hotel Chalukya, women politicians, political aspirants, mediapersons and political researchers came together to discuss the way forward for women in the 2019 General Elections.
Hosted by Shakti – a group of non-partisan women who have joined hands with the long-term goal of enabling more women to get elected as MLAs and MPs across parties, the event included a keynote speech, panel discussions, and interactions between women across political affiliations. Apart from speakers on the panels, the event was attended by guests like Irom Sharmila, anti-AFSPA activist and founder of the political party Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance, and Leeladevi R. Prasad, former MLA, Karnataka minister and Rajya Sabha MP with a political career spanning 60 years.
Leeladevi R. Prasad unveiled the logo for Shakti along with four women sarpanches from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu who were invited as speakers for a panel discussion.
Tara Krishnaswamy, convener of the Bengaluru event, welcomed the gathering and pointed out that this was the first non-partisan national convention of women interested in politics in India, making history. “We are here because we have only 9 percent women MLAs and 11 percent women MPs. We have plenty of evidence to show that women are interested in politics.Voters want women. The question is are we willing to give that to them?”
In her keynote speech, Srilatha Batliwala – author, activist and Director of Knowledge Building and Feminist Leadership at CREA – spoke about the myths that surround women in politics, including that they are not interested in politics, that they are not competent and need “capacity building”, and that women politicians are more corrupt and autocratic. She also talked about the political structures that keep women out, and suggest ways to break through them: Recognising the existing of hidden power dynamics; mobilising other women to confront these dynamics; collectively building parallel processes like nari gram sabhas, nari adalats, or groups like Shakti, and to resist playing by the rules set by men.
Panel 1: Why are there so few MPs and MLAs?
Panelists: PA Devi, cultural activist from Telangana, C Motamma, Vice President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Kavitha Reddy, Congress Spokesperson
Surabhi Hodigere, political entrepreneur and writer,Shahina KK journalist with OPEN Magazine
Vasanthi Hariprakash journalist (moderator)
C Motamma: “Everybody knows we are in a male-dominated society. Even politically, women are denied their right to contesting elections. It is no secret that even deserving women are denied tickets. Before a party gives a ticket to a woman, they ask two main questions – the party asks is she financially sound, and who is the male who is backing her before they give her the ticket.”
Shahina KK: “Why is 50 percent reservation restricted to local bodies? Because it is considered as an extension of the family. It is not a body that makes law. Parliament is where we amend the Constitution, the Assembly is where we make laws.”
Kavitha Reddy: “Sometimes it does not matter if you get 50 or 500 votes. Contesting is important. How much more groundwork can you do so that the party cannot deny you a ticket the next time. It is not only about winning… women in politics have to keep fighting. Even if you lose, you participate as the opposition and continue to ask questions.”
Panel 2: Party Structures – Are they Impeding Women?
Sushmita Dev Congress,Malavika Avinash, BJP spokesperson, Bader Sayeed, senior advocate and former AIADMK MLA
Ruth Manorama, JD(S) candidate for Lok Sabha,Dhanya Rajendran (moderator)
Ruth Manorama: “I have no fathers, uncles or boyfriends in the party. Party structures are not women-friendly, they are completely patriarchal. Major decisions are taken elsewhere, and the women just have to accept them. There are capable women, but party structures make no room for them.”
Malavika Avinash: “An event like this is a mirror to all political parties and leaders so I congratulate the team that has been here. I even suggested that you invite Dinesh Gundu Rao and BS Yeddyurappa to sit in the audience and listen. […] Why are we only limited to the women’s wing of political parties? We are all isolated from the main party. The fight for space within the party reduces you to two things – caste and cash. What then is the way forward? Reservation is the only way.”
Sushmita Dev: “Frontal organisations [like mahila wings of political parties] are an entry point for women. It depends on the vision and how you run that organisation. […] There has to be massive gender sensitization within parties and in workplaces. If you can support your daughter of your wife, then you can help somebody else’s daughter or wife win, can’t you? The Women’s Reservation Bill must happen. All have to work internally in our parties for it.”
Panel 3: 1 million Elected Women in Local Bodies – What Next?
Archana Jatkar, two-time sarpanch of Pokhari, Yavatmal, Varsha Nikam, former sarpanch, INC member
Krishnaveni, former president of Thalaiyuthu panchayat,Rajathi Salma Poet, former Panchayat President, MLA contestant
Bhanupriya Rao, researcher and RTI activist,TR Raghunandan, former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (moderator)
Archana Jatkar: “Winning once in a reserved seat has encouraged us and others to contest in open seats.”
Krishnaveni: “I hope DMK under Stalin will further Karunanidhi’s policy of ensuring and strengthening women’s representation in politics”
Salma: “The other real structural solution is reservation for women.”
Bhanupriya: “We only ask and measure competence about women politicians, not the men. But the hopeful bit is that women have a great deal of political aspirations.”
Panel 4: Women’s Reservation Bill – the What, Why and How of Getting it Passed
Jyoti Raj, co founder of the Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India CERI,Kshama Nargund Banavathy, RSS Disha trustee
Shahina KK, journalist,Cynthia Stephen, independent researcher, journalist
Sowmya Reddy, Congress MLA, Karnataka,Nupur Basu, journalist (moderator)
Sowmya: “Practically every speech I make, I talk about being part of the lonely 4% – the tiny number of women MLAs in Karnataka. The way forward is to have more men and more male politicians in this room.”
Nupur: “Across parties, male politicians responded to 33 percent reservation for women by saying let’s have an extra 33 percent for women, and turn Parliament into a 900-seater. Is hammam mein hum sab nange hain.”
Panel 5: Way Forward – Ideas to get political parties to give more tickets to women
Nisha Agrawal, Ruchi Gupta, Surabhi Hodigere, Vimala KS, Dhanya Rajendran (moderator)
Ruchi Gupta: “If there was a quota for women, it would help women get leverage against entrenched power structures of men. […]The hypermuscular masculine rhythm and idiom of politics needs to change. I meet young men who want the get the attention of media so they will got to their location and take off their shirts. Women are unlikely to even be part of such an event.”
Nisha Agrawal: “If you are the one woman in the power, whether in a political group or a corporate boardroom, you are doomed to failure. […]We need quotas for women everywhere from politics to judiciary to police. That is the only way that transform politics.”
Surabhi Hodigere: “My friends call it a blunder and I do it at every event I go to, I say I want to be the first woman CM of Karnataka. I know it will inspire other young women.”
In her address to the gathering, Leeladevi R. Prasad said, “If we want justice, we need political power. I have been fighting for it for 60 years, that Bill is still pending in Parliament.” She suggested a march to Delhi to put pressure on the government and urged people to join her.
At the close of the day, all present repeated a pledge: “We, the women of India hereby commit to building a nationwide movement cutting across region, religion, language, caste and ideology to demand political power for women. All for one and one for all.”
A petition was launched on Change.org asking the presidents of five major political parties including the BJP and the Congress to assure that 50% of their party tickets would be given to women in the 2019 General Elections. The petition is live at change.org/
The following resolutions were passed:
– Build a non-partisan national movement to demand political power for women.
– Launch Shakti in Delhi in February 2019 and kick-start state caucuses.
– Exert public pressure on political parties for 50% tickets to women for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
– Promote women candidates during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
– Demand passing a Women’s Representation Assurance policy in the winter session of the Lok Sabha (2018), derived from the Women’s Reservation Bill discussions.
