As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, I cite two instances, contradictory to each other, to draw your attention to the fact that gender equality is still a distant dream and present efforts have to be doubled to get anywhere closer to this dream. The first is the civic polls held in Nagaland on February 1, 2017 which were boycotted by most Naga tribes because they opposed 33% reservation for women introduced in the state for first time. Though the reason given was that the Government should not interfere in customary laws of land without the consent of the people, the underlying reason was that in Naga society, women are not considered equal to men and giving them equal status would create inferiority complex in men. The second instance is, at the National Women’s Parliament held on February 10 at Amaravati, the world renowned leader, Dalai Lama, reiterated the need for more women leaders to make the world a safer place. These two instances give rise to an array of questions; why are women less in leadership positions, especially in political arenas? Why, when we are harping on gender equality on one hand, on the flip side we want to focus on granting privileges and reservations for women, more so when we have examples of women leaders who are infamous for dubious accounts and corrupt records? Could women leaders be different from men? If yes, then how?
The changing political discourse in the country has contributed to the recognition that women must play a greater role in political affairs. Today a strong opinion is building up in favour of increasing women’s involvement in decision making processes of the Government. However, there are various reasons for low participation of women. The existence of gender division of labour which limits women’s role to domestic sphere, the cultural socialisation which views women as being socialised into feminine and non-competitive roles that do not accord with political activity, lack of resources like education, employment, financial assets, which reduces bargaining power of women, reluctance of political parties to field women candidates on winnable seats, and various traditional factors such as caste, religion, feudal attitudes and family status adversely affect women’s movements, restricting their role within the four walls of the house. As a result women have been left on the periphery of political life.
The State, through 73rd and 74th Amendment, has paved way for women to take up leadership at grassroots level. The bill to introduce reservation for women at State Assemblies and Parliament is waiting to be passed by both the houses of the Parliament. Thus the state has partly facilitated women’s entry in politics. The entry of more and more women into the realm of politics suggests that their increased number will offer them equally increased opportunity to influence the decision-making. Affirmative action is necessary for mainstreaming women’s perspectives and women’s issues in all policies and plans, for identifying women’s needs and priorities while framing development programmes, and for effective utilization of human capital potential of women.
Studies reflect that women leaders can bring in qualitative change in politics. Women’s physical difference from men results in a different psychology and moral values. It is claimed that more women leaders would speed up the passage of social welfare legislation, and enhance consumers’ protection. Women would change the focus of administration towards important facets of life like health, nutrition, children’s welfare, family care, etc. By virtue of their gender, they would act as a cohesive force to bring about social change. Reformers believe that once women come to power the entire political system would be transformed. Mahatma Gandhi wanted women to enter public life as selfless, devoted social workers to undertake the crucial task of social reconstruction. He wanted women to cleanse politics, to feminise it by bringing in spirit of selfless sacrifice rather than compete with men in power-grabbing.
But there are cases where women leaders have imbibed the masculine ethos as survival instinct has overpowered them. Because of their own political survival, they too have imitated the autocratic model of male politicians. How could these phenomena be explained? Women cannot be treated as monolithic body all the times. Woman may respond to public affairs as individual rather than as member of a special group with a distinctive set of interests, and therefore may be competitive in her attempt to maximise her gain. Also she may belong to variety of groups which hold different political opinions. The pressure from the men folk, both at work place as well as home may make women succumb to these pressures and forget to draw their own line and develop their own leadership style. Also as long as women are expected to follow the lead of their husbands and fathers in activities outside the home, it is hardly likely that they will act as a separate and autonomous segment. Patriarchy, open as well as subtle, continues to operate both in open and disguised manner. The mindset of the people has been conditioned and various factors like economic status, hunger for power, cut-throat competition, have been responsible for this conditioning. And in this scenario women may also go with the existing tide and suffer from bandwagon effect.
But this cannot be the justification to keep women out of leadership positions. They compose half of the country’s population and therefore should play an important role in the socio-economic development of the country and alter the parameters of political practices. The political parties have to give tickets to women to contest elections and prove that they are democratic just not in their ideologies but also in their actions. A drastic change needs to be brought in, in the very functioning of the society. Values of integration, harmony, selflessness, have to be practiced by all and not merely preached. Women as well as men should enter politics with devotion, and work towards social reconstruction so that not only 8th March, but every day could be the day of equality, dignity and respect for women.
(The author is Associate Professor of Political Science, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Khandola, Marcela)
