NEW DELHI: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday suggested increasing the number of seats in the State Assemblies and Parliament to accommodate 33 per cent women.

"I don't think male monopoly can be broken overnight to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill; that leaves increasing the number of seats as the only option for including more women in the legislature.'' She was speaking at a workshop on "Changing Power Equations: J&K Women in Governance'' organised here by the Women's Political Watch for the just-elected women councillors from the State.

In Jammu and Kashmir talks were already on with political parties to arrive at a consensus on increasing the number of Assembly seats to accommodate more women. "There is scope for increasing the number of seats, particularly in the Valley and Ladakh regions. The same formula can be applied in Parliament also."

Jammu and Kashmir reserved 33 per cent seats for women in the just-held civil polls and the coming panchayat elections. In the civil polls the voter turnout was unprecedented and women took part in large numbers. "Unlike men, women did not back out of the electoral process because of threats. They began campaigning from their homes to the neighbourhood, making basic amenities poll issues,'' Ms. Mufti pointed out.

Women were the worst hit by violence and therefore could not be excluded from the peace process, she said.

`A cause, not politics'

"Thirtythree per cent reservation in the State had a cause. It was not just politics," said Ashiya, a young PDP councillor from the Telbal ward. Fifteen years of militancy had played havoc with the lives of the people and they wanted peace and uplift in their lives, for which they chose the democratic way.

For Afroze, another councillor from the Valley, reservation at the municipal level was just a beginning to give women their due. "Even at the national level, women are being totally ignored. But in J&K women have been given a small role in decision-making.''

Contesting from the Hasanabad ward, where people believed in boycotting the elections, Raja Begum won hands down. A national award-winning government teacher, she contested to fulfil her dream of a "Naya Kashmir''.

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