By Daiaphira Kharsati
SHILLONG: The February 27 Assembly elections will witness 32 women candidates fighting with equal gusto as their male counterparts. Though the fair sex comprises a negligible 8.6 per cent of the total number of candidates, this has not deterred them from taking up the cudgels against rivals.
As for the political parties, the Congress leads with seven women candidates, followed by the National People’s Party with five, UDP and NCP with one each, and HSPDP, BJP, PDF and GNC with two candidates each. There are 10 independents in the fray.
The Shillong Times spoke to a few female candidates to seek their opinions on the Assembly polls.
TS Diolinda Dkhar, Congress candidate from Khliehriat, feels that women are being harassed and though they want to raise important issues they don’t get the opportunity.
“If I am elected I will go to every locality and urge people to come to the forefront and encourage them to speak out. With regard to crime, women’s wing and women’s group should be vigilant and be strong to see that culprits are booked,” she said.
Asked about education of the girl child, she assured that free education will be given till 18 years of age to girls.
Rona Khymdeit, UDP candidate from Nongpoh, said, “In today’s world we women should not be confined to the kitchen. That generation is long gone and it is not wrong for women to participate in politics, business or any field.”
“If I am elected and other women are elected naturally we will raise women issues in the Assembly and find out ways and means to frame laws,” she said.
According to her, special consideration must be given to the education of girl children apart from the central government scheme of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
Asked about the initiative of the BJP on free sanitary napkins, Khymdeit did not comment but said it was a BJP initiative.
P Nongpluh, NPP candidate from Pynthorumkhrah, said there should be strong laws to protect women and children and asserted that the laws are very lenient.
“We see many women working as maids, labourers, selling betel nut by the roadside. There are so many things which need to be done for the welfare of women if we are given a chance,” she said.
Asked, she said that free education should be given to every girl child and that if there is no free education women have to work hard as they have to provide for their children’s education.
Aneeta Synrem, Independent candidate from Pynthorumkhrah, said her priorities were to check the safety and security of women and create avenues for women in different kinds of fields.
“I want to put a proposal before the government for launching a kind of scheme for unmarried daughters and widows and those abandoned by their husbands so that there is some kind of help from the government in raising their children and educating them in a proper way,” she said.
Synrem said education of a girl child should be the top priority as the BJP slogan of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is incomplete.
“What is the use as in the end we are not giving them a chance to step ahead? How many tickets has the BJP given to women aspirants,” she asked.
Asked about the BJP’s announcement to distribute free sanitary napkins to BPL families, Synrem asserted that such a move is a plan to woo female voters as after the implementation of GST, the price of sanitary napkins has shot up.
Other than Dkhar, who expressed happiness that 32 women are in the electoral fray, Khymdeit, Nongpluh and Synrem felt that more women need to come forward and take part in politics.
Again, Nongpluh stated that it would be a tough task for women as the Women’s Reservation Bill has also not been implemented.
Female participation in politics
Females participating in politics have shown a slight increase over the last two election years – 2008 and 2013.
There were a total of 21 females in comparison to 317 males in the 2008 Assembly elections. In 2013, female participation showed a slight upward trend with 25 candidates compared to 320 male candidates. In the first case, females comprised 6.2 per cent of the total number of candidates and in the second 7.2 per cent.