“Politics is Not for Women, Beta”: Female Representation In Indian Politics

AUTHOR: Kritanjali Chaurasia

Kritanjali is an active individual of social science and works towards gender equality in several aspects. Her interests in politics and economics drew her to opt for political science as her major and she aspires to uplift every woman who ever crosses her path.

I was eight when the thought of becoming a politician crossed my mind after I started reading about the first and the only female Prime Minister Of India, Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, also known as the Iron Lady Of India. A week later, I had a few relatives at my place. They asked me about my aspirations, and when I told them that I was inspired by politics and wanted to see myself in that field, one of them said, “Politics is not for women, beta”. That somehow stayed with me and encouraged me to choose political science as my career and to defy social norms.

My Journey Of Fighting The Odds:

I belong to a tradition and space where people seem glum when they hear a doctor saying, “It’s a girl”. I have faced discrimination and have been made to feel inferior all my life. I have often heard stories that I was unwanted when I was born because my family expected a male child. I have been taught that it doesn’t matter if you are a prodigy, you can only be considered successful if a nice boy marries you. But life had other plans for me and I chose my roads which led me to be a political scientist and a social reformer.

Politics has set my course of action and I still have that eight-year-old inside me wanting to become a politician and represent women.

Women In Indian Politics

I come from India, often called “the world’s largest democracy” where elections, from national elections to elections at the village level, are held on a rolling basis. Despite women making up almost half of the voters, women comprise about one in ten candidates.

In the Global Gender Gap Index of 2021, India ranked 140 out of 156 countries (with 156th being the least equal country), which highlights how poorly women are represented in Indian politics. While there have been political developments in the world in the last few decades like the introduction of the women reservation bill, through which certain seats will be reserved for women in the parliament, there has been no growth in female representation.

This poses a great threat to the core values of democracy that emphasise participation and the representation of all citizens in the political process. Having more women and marginalised genders in politics can lead to more representative and inclusive policies and a diversity of ideas within politics. 

Plight Of Women Already Representing

In India, there are very few women in politics and they suffer from discrimination. At local levels, female politicians are merely a reflection of their male counterparts (their inclusion in decision making does not seem imperative to the male members who are ruling in the pretext of their household women), so as to fulfil the quota of women representation, and don’t have their opinions taken into consideration. Even if women do get into politics, it is rarely a higher position of authority such as the Chief Minister. The five most commonly held portfolios by women ministers are: Family/children/youth/elderly/disabled. This fuels the notion that women can only fit a particular portfolio or job, which reinforces the entrenched nature of gender stereotypes.

Representation of Women In International Politics: 

Women’s political representation has come a long way from the historic idea of exclusion of women but the world still needs to work towards progressing towards a more equal system. As of January 2019, women hold 24.3% of parliamentary seats worldwide against 13.4% in 2000, while 27 states still have a share below 10% (including three parliaments with no women at all), according to one report. Women’s active participation in electoral competitions is a valid indicator of the growth of democracy in any country of the world today (Rai, 2017, p. 58).

There are many figureheads. For instance, Kamala Harris, the first female Vice President of the United States. And Angela Merkel who, even on the verge of retirement, is often seen as the backbone of German politics and is celebrated for her handling of important issues, from the Syrian refugee crisis to Brexit. While these women might be a minority, they can be great role models and can help pave the way for other women. As Madam Vice President Harris rightly said, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.”

Conclusion:

My entire life is invested in negating every remark that undermined women’s potential and tried to stereotype women’s abilities. Coming from a background where educating a girl child is seen as a burden, I have become the only political scientist in seven generations of my family. Where marrying a girl is considered successful and studying politics is not, I have rescued women from child marriages.

I have highlighted the need for women leaders in politics but still, the question remains: why should we let our girls follow their dream of politics? There is, and will never be, a right answer to this question because the debate is never-ending. We need more women in Indian politics so every woman standing in the crowd can feel like she has a say, every woman in India’s rural household can dream of leading the country, every discriminated woman can voice her opinion independently. 

Some experiences stay with you for life. It was so inspiring for me as an eight-year-old to see how Indira Gandhi, through her ability to resist discrimination, gave a feminine face to a thoroughly patriarchal politics. My journey was demanding but now when I see people around me gaining the courage to fight back, it was all worth it. 

Published 9th November 2021

Edited by Ashvini Rae