Reasons for the Poor Participation of Women in Politics

Women in Agriculture

Lesson 4 : Socio –Economic and Political Status of Rural Women

Reasons for the Poor Participation of Women in Politics

  • The double standards adopted by the people and political parties with regards to power sharing with women.
  • The men folk possessive in nature, abhor the idea of letting their women jostle with other men in political work especially after dusk. As most of the discussions relating to policy formulations, seat sharing and organizational activities of political parties are held at night and it naturally precludes, women's participation.
  • The religious and caste factors have had tremendous impact on women's participation in electoral politics.
  • Educated women think that it is below their status to mingle with people belonging to low castes and economically and educationally backward sections.
  • Politics does not bring returns to the women activists who have got to support their families and keep their husbands and in laws in good humour.
  • The higher the women's qualifications, the lower their fighting spirit.
  • The male folk think that politics is a challenging career, which demands perseverance; fighting spirit, ideological convictions and allegiance to the party they belong. Hard work, extensive travels, the capacity for fund raising and building up party units are not tasks which people without grit and dynamism can handle. Experience shows that those who come up in politics are subjected to all sorts of tribulations, backbiting and crises which no ordinary mortal can stand. Women are accustomed to the comforts of a secure and happy family life with husband and children, can never take up the challenges of leading agitations which may land them in police lock-ups.
  • The political parties dominated by men folk are not at all interested in providing space for women in electoral politics especially when their electoral chances are threatened.

It is in this backdrop that the relevance and significance of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts which include provisions for women's empowerment in terms of reservation of seats in Panchayati Raj institutions should be examined.
An extensive and detailed study on women's representation in the legislatures of both developing anc developed countries has brought out the truth that India's record in providing adequate representation to women in legislative bodies, though not satisfactory, is far better and hence cannot be called dismal.

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Last modified: Friday, 1 June 2012, 7:07 AM