INDIAN WOMEN POWER & 33% RESERVATION
From Sampath’s Desk:
INDIAN WOMEN POWER AND 33%RESERVATION
33% reservation for women in all areas/fields is fully
justified as they hold half the sky and have the right to be part of the country’s
law-making legislative bodies and in our political spectrum and discourse besides an important role in decision making.
On 18.12.2018, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released the Global
Gender Gap Report 2018, reviewing 149 countries on the basis of their progress
towards gender parity and then listed them accordingly in its Global Gender Gap
Index. These 149 countries
were ranked on the basis of four thematic dimensions - Economic
Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and
Political Empowerment.
This year (2020), the Gender Gap Index was topped by Iceland with a score of
0.858, retaining the first rank in the index for the 10th consecutive year.
According to the report, the world has closed 68 percent of the gender gap, and at the current rate of change, it will take 108 years more to close the overall gender gap and 202 years to bring about parity in the workplace. The Gender Gap Index 2018 was topped by Iceland, having closed more than 85.8 percent of its overall gender gap. Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland) dominated the top spots in the index with Norway ranking 2nd, Sweden 3rd, and Finland 4th. But, India ranked as No.149 among the 192 countries in the IPU list, had a mere 11.8% women representation in the 16th Lok Sabha which improved only nominally to 14.5% in the current 17th Lok Sabha.
Nepal deserves to be appreciated for stealing a march over many
countries in that it occupies the 36th position in the IPU and its
275-member Lower House has 90 women representing 32.7%. Taking the
cue, India has to do the needful in regard
to 33% reservation for women in Parliament, State
Legislative Assemblies, etc.
India was ranked 108th in the Global Gender Gap Index 2018, the same as
it was ranked in 2017. In terms of economic opportunity and participation,
India ranked 142nd out of 149 countries, not something one can be
cheerful about. Moreover, India continued to rank the third-lowest in the world on
health and survival, remaining the world's least improved country on this
sub-index.
Though India made no significant improvement in the overall gender gap ranking,
it recorded an impressive improvement in wage equality and managed to fully close its
tertiary education gender gap for the first time.
Among other South Asian countries, India picked up the 4th
place, the other top three being Bangladesh (48th), Sri Lanka (100th)
and Nepal (105th).
When women formed nearly one half of the world's total population, it is
unfortunate and logic-defying that the much-talked-about 33% reservation
for women is yet to see the light of the day, which is long overdue. One is at
a loss to understand the inordinate delay it suffers. The issue used to be
raised from time to time in the past by almost all the politicians as an avowed objective and much-trumpeted rhetoric only to go into oblivion and shelved soon after each time!
With all said and done, the delay is unconscionable. With women empowerment going a whole hog not just by serendipity but due to the centuries-long battle for equal rights fought by the womenfolk in general and women rights activists, in particular, they are increasingly coming out from their traditionally protected cocoons with flying colours in all fields under the sky. Needless to say, they are scaling new heights in their personal life, family, society, country and the world at large. Today, we have many entrepreneurs as well. Still, they feel challenged in many fronts especially to sustain their seats of power and position in politics and governance, thanks to the misogyny still exhibited by some chauvinist males. Even the 2016 US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with the Democratic ticket has had to encounter embarrassing, humiliating and precarious situations for years before shooting to prominence.
Indira Gandhi of India, Margaret Thatcher of the U.K., Golda Meir
of Israel and Sirimavo Bandaranaike of the erstwhile Ceylon (now Sri
Lanka) are shining examples who turned the history to assume power and
maintain it for a fairly long time. Recently, Saudi Arabian women had
to struggle it out to get voting rights and to fight local elections to become
municipal councilors.
Now, let us have a look at women who are currently at the helm of affairs in some countries, among others.
Nepal – President – Bidya Devi Bhandari
Bangladesh – Prime Minister – Sheikh Hasina
New Zealand – Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern
Germany – Chancellor – Angela Markel
Switzerland – President – Simonetta Sommaruga
New Zealand – Governor-General - Dame Patricia
Lee Reddy
Norway – Prime Minister – Erna Solberg
Myanmar – State Counsellor – Aung San Suu Kyi
Taiwan – President – Tsai Ing-wen
Greece – Katerina Sakellaropoulou
Denmark – Prime Minister – Mette Frederiksen
Finland – Prime Minister – Sanna Marin
Ethiopia – President – Sahe-Work Zewde
Singapore – President – Halimah YacobBarbados – Prime Minister – Mia Mottley
As for India, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj, and Smriti Irani have strongly asserted their influence in the national politics quite impressively, not to speak of former Odisha Chief Minister late Nandini Satpathy (1972-1976), former Goa Chief Minister late Sashikala Kakodkar (1973-1979), former Tamil Nadu CM late J. Jayalalitha, current West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia, who have carved a niche in their respective positions/states. These great women proved the point, "How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself." They did it with their indomitable courage and sagacity and sheerly out of their own merits as one could see in these women.
The male-dominant world had earlier prejudicially identified and earmarked only
a few areas for women like teaching, nursing, and hospitality,
trotting out a deliberate sophism, ruse, and subterfuge that their capacity is
limited. The myth bubble has been burst what with the women of today
having started to spread the net of their capability far and wide, fly with their wings, and make inroads into hitherto
non-chartered areas like medicine, engineering, aeronautics, driving, policing,
piloting, space-walk, army, and politics – among others. They have made foray
into almost all the areas under the sky including the ones hitherto considered as male domains and bastions. They shine, excel and achieve in every field. Gender
is not an issue. In the present day world, what is important is the ability to
come up with positive results. The higher pass percentage, marks, and
ranks being secured by girls than boys bear testimony to their educational
advancement.
The shackles have been broken. Knowledge has spread. The horizon
has widened. Women have proved their mettle in all walks of life. We
have reasons to be proud of our women making continued strides in all walks of
life. For them, it is their right to own and give, rather than surrender and
ask.
Women are already acquitting themselves creditably well in the
local bodies with their representation. Presence of women in the
law-making bodies would certainly bring decency and decorum in the house proceedings
besides enhancing the quality of lively discussions, meaningful arguments, and heated debates on vital issues. Their views have to carry weight for constructive ideas and right value
additions. The increased space for women in politics will also help cleanse the political activity and discourse.
Margaret Thatcher once said,
“Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be
nearer to understanding the problems of running a country”. She did so and ruled the U.K. as Prime Minister during 1979-1990!
A strong woman understands that gifts such as logic,
decisiveness and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional
connection. She values and uses all of her gifts. Again, a woman is a
full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform.
R.SAMPATH
29.10.2020
Comments
Post a Comment