Empowering women: going beyond quota
ANANDITA GUPTA
— Photo: PTI
Dream come true:At last, we are getting what we want. A celebration in Shimla.
Anandita Gupta
History witnessed another step taken by the government to empower women by introducing a Bill for 33 per cent reservation of seats for them in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies on International Women's Day. Some parties which claim to be custodians of the interests of backward classes are vehemently opposing it as it does not reserve seats for the women belonging to these and hence this Bill would empower only the elite class women.
However, the question is not which class of women will benefit from a higher number of women representatives. The question is, will it really empower women. Another question that arises is that, in order to improve the plight of women in India, do we need a woman leader.
India has women representatives from panchayats (where 33 per cent quota for women has already been implemented) to State level leaders to the current party president of the ruling Congress. However, not all of them have been known for working for the upliftment of women. This only implies that a seat in the legislature does not automatically ensure that the interests of the group/section/community of that person are made safe.
The oppressed women continue to be oppressed, they continue to become victims of eve-teasing (which is at its worst in Delhi), Dalit women in rural areas continue to be gang-raped and paraded naked (sometimes with the consent of panchayats). Women empowerment, in my opinion, means giving the power to an individual woman to say no to what she does not agree to and giving her the freedom to exercise her fundamental rights as a citizen of India. Some of the following steps, if implemented in their true spirit, would empower women the way we would like them to:
1. The Legislature would do good to the country by ensuring that the committees like the Estimates Committee (to check the economy of the budget), the Committee on Delegated Legislation or the Committee on Govt. Assurances work in a dedicated manner to see to it that government policies are implemented the way they are planned.
2. The Judiciary has a much greater role to play in sensitising judges towards women-related issues.
3. A separate cell to investigate women-related cases should be set up which should have women as majority members.
4. Better civic amenities for women would help them to be more comfortable outside the vicinities of their homes. A report issued by the Ministry of Information says that most girls drop out of schools due to the absence of toilets in their schools.
5. A better healthcare programme for women especially in rural areas — not just for the implementation of Janani Suraksha Yojana for maternity care but for all gynaecological problems — would go a long way in ensuring that the so-called better-half of the Indian male-dominated society is taken care of. Recognition of the Indian healthcare services as a Central service would strengthen the rural healthcare scenario in many ways.
6. Empower the bodies created to prevent atrocities against women to have suo motu powers. Also, give them the right to act when gross injustice is done to women.
7. Make stronger laws to prevent atrocities against women. The laws on violence, eve-teasing, and other offences are not only insufficient, but also ridden with loopholes that an offender does not even worry about being convicted.
8. Involve anganwadi women to create greater awareness about women's fundamental and domestic rights in rural areas through rural counselling centres.
9. Sensitising the police force to women's problems and inducting more women in the force will help. At least one woman police officer should be associated with cases related to women.
10. Encouraging education among women should be the first step. Today, the government has set aside Rs. 60,000 crore for education. It should ensure that the money is well spent. Linking it to performance would help in better implementation of its programmes.
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