Relevance: GS-2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Key Phrases: Election Commission of India, Global Gender Gap Report 2020, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, Sarpanch Pati syndrome and Son Mera Preferences, Women Reservation Bill, 2008.

What is the contextual background of the Editorial?

• In India, women make up about half of the population, but they are under-represented in the political system in proportion to their numbers.
• At every level, from the home to the highest levels of government, women are excluded from decision-making.
• Despite the Indian Constitution’s provision of equal opportunity, women have a small presence in legislative bodies and political participation at all levels.
• Accessing the possible reasons, the editor found,very interestingly, education plays a strong part in women empowerment in politics.

Why is there a need for gender parity in Political representation ?

1. Women’s decision-making engagement in politics may have a substantial impact on women’s empowerment, which is why India is battling with the issue of gender disparity.
   • As per the report of the Election Commission of India, women represent 10.5 percent of the total members of the Parliament.
   • The plight of women in the state assemblies is even worse, where they nearly account for 9 percent of the leaders.
   • Women’s representation in the Lok Sabha has not even grown by 10 percent in the last 75 years of independence.
   • Women workers abound in India’s main political parties, but they are often marginalised and refused a party ticket to run in elections.
2. There are several factors responsible for the poor representation of women in Indian politics such as:
   • Gender stereotypes
   • Lack of political network
   • Financial strains, and unavailability of resources
   • Criminalisation of Politics
   • Lack of political education amongst women
3. According to Global Gender Gap Report 2020, India ranks 112th in educational attainment out of 153 countries: Global Gender Report 2021: Another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity
   • Reveals a stark involvement of education as a factor that determines women’s participation in politics.
   • Women’s social mobility is influenced by their education.
   • Formal education, such as that given in educational institutions, provides an opportunity for leadership and instils critical leadership abilities.
   • Due to a lack of political knowledge, women are oblivious of their basic and political rights.
4. Majority of Indian women politicians are highly educated such as Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India; Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal; Mahua Moitra, an MP from West Bengal; Atishi Marlena, an MLA from Delhi; Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
5. Education plays an important role amongst women when it comes to political representation:
   • The question of literacy not only restricts to contesting but also stretches to voting.
   • Women’s total voting percentage is low in states where female literacy is low and high in areas where female literacy is high.
   • Despite improvements in female literacy over the previous decade, female voter participation has remained relatively flat.
   • The disparities between overall voter participation and female voter participation are greater in states with low literacy rates. Males participate in the same proportions whether they are literate or not.

Analysis of women's education and political participation interrelationships:

1. Women's education and political participation:
   • The states like Uttar Pradesh, where only 10 percent of the women are representing in state assemblies, out of them 77.5 percent women are graduates and postgraduates while the number is comparatively lower for men.
   • In West Bengal, only 14 percent of the women elected for the state assemblies have around 60 percent literacy rate, and male leaders are considerably low.
2. The stark reality of political education amongst Indian female politicians– Despite female politicians being much more educated than male politicians but still lag in terms of representation, and portrays an evident link between literacy and politics for women in India.
3. Due to lack of political education and education in general, women fail to enter politics and gender equality remains a distant dream in India.
4. Female representation plays huge importance to the growth of the country towards sustainable development goals:
   • Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women
   • Girls with special emphasis on leadership
   • Participation in public, political, and economical decision-making
   • Adoption of policies to facilitate this participation

What are the benefits of women's equal participation in politics?

• Scientifically derived and Empirically Proven:
  1. IMF Chief: Where women are more educated and empowered, economies are more productive and strong.
  2. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon–"Where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful and stable”
• Vicious cycle—“Patriarchal Prevalence, Rights Unawareness“ stopped:
  1. India has a low rate of girl-child education and is still in the grips of patriarchy which results from traditionally assigned roles to women.
  2. This, in turn, has led to more dire issues where we are facing a lack of representation in policies and problems of inclusion as an absence of education makes women ignorant of these aspects and become a part of the same vicious circle.
• Government 'Full-Hearted' efforts needed :
  1. The government did make efforts to ensure women participation in politics from the ground level by promoting women education (“Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”), Sukanya Samridhi Yojna.
  2. Also important measures like constitutional amendments such as reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (Article 243D of the Constitution ensures participation of women by mandating not less than one-third reservation for women)
  3. However, phenomena like Sarpanch Pati syndrome still act as a barrier for gender parity.
  4. Proposal of the Women Reservation Bill, 2008 which reserves one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies for women are still in the Lok Sabha pipeline only.

What are the key steps for gender parity in political representation that need to be taken?

• There is an urgent need for policies that can ensure better representation of women in the country such as more strict policies and implementation of girl-child education in the country.
• Initiatives from the recognised political parties to ensure that women receive a minimum agreed-upon representation in state assembly and parliamentary elections.
• Immediate passage of Women Reservation Bill, 2008
• Safe political space for women and debunking the stereotyped role of women.

Conclusion:

• Due to lack of political education and education in general, women fail to enter politics and gender equality remains a distant dream in India.
• Extrapolating these aspects, women’s political participation in India still has a long way to go, particularly at greater levels of government.
• However, with more female political leaders and more women practising their democratic rights, India may expect policy changes that will help India improve its political performance.

Source: Observer Research Foundation

Mains Question:

Q. The women reservation bill passage was meant to bring gender parity and strengthen participatory democracy in India, highlight various factors that have hindered its passage.( 10 marks).