Let us assert our right

  

It is now a given that the Eighth Goa Legislative Assembly that will be sworn in in March will again be "undemocratic" literally. 

Why? Because on a basic level, a legislative assembly without the participation of half the state’s population is not democratic.

Because the Constitution of India mandates equal civil and political rights to men and women. 

All this because despite rhetorical commitment to gender parity in politics, major political parties - the INC and BJP (major contenders in the high decibel Goa assembly elections to be held on Monday) fall far short of that goal, going by the dismal number of women they have fielded as candidates. 

Undemocratic, to my mind, because post elections, women will simply not be getting the kind of governance they deserve. This because we will not have enough women in decision-making or policy making roles -- not in roles of making laws.

Not just these two, but clearly, political parties across the board have once again reiterated the fact that they are reluctant to field women candidates. But interestingly while the overwhelming majority of political parties have failed women in representation opportunities, all of them recognize the value of women’s votes. This is seen in their promises of freebies to woo women voters who outnumber men in Goa. 

Women voters this time around should take serious note of the fact that no political party has any intent nor agenda to tackle ground issues -- the lack of sanitation facilities like toilets, both in homes and public places, non availability of drinking water, absence of gainful employment, reservation of jobs in public and private sectors, equal pay, equal participation in economic activity and encouraging entrepreneurship among women by cutting on red tapeism and simplifying beaureaucratic procedures. Essentially, they simply do not have any roadmap for full and equitable participation of women in public life, going forward.

Women voters should also take serious note of growing criminisation of Goa's politics. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, an election watchdog body, Goa has 18 percent candidates with serious criminal antecedents with those in Congress topping the list. The ADR which base its findings on the sworn affidavits of candidates state that Goa this time around has 30 percent red alert constituencies. 

So the bottom line is -- these political parties which have showed no reluctance to field tainted (male) candidates (with deep pockets) are but reluctant to share power with women. And this, to my mind, is a sad commentary on gender parity.

Moreover, I am pretty sure that on March 14, as seen in the past several years, the turnout of women voters will be robust. We can guage so from the overwhelming number of women filling spaces at political meetings. And I say so because a high number of enthusiastic women volunteers are seen participating in political campaigns across party lines. This despite the criminal under representation of women. 

So is the absence of women in law making not a concern? If it is, what then is the way out? How do we assert our democratic right? How do we achieve equal political rights? How do we increase women representation in our state assembly? 

In the absence of public pressure on political parties to give tickets to 50 per cent of women candidates, the only way to my mind, inorder to ensure representation for women in the state legislative assembly and further to resolve issues faced by women, lies in a all women regional outfit for Goa.

Breaking away from politics of caste and community (no more options of caste, community, religion will diminish tactical voting, significantly) thus giving Goans or rather more than half the state's population, a desirable alternative.

Besides, many will agree that such a gender-based party would probably meet the key requirement of electoral politics -- getting nearly half the voters to vote for women candidates. It would also mean end of male oppression because it will get a completely new approach to legislation. The rules of the game which are brutally patriarchal as of today would deem to change. 

This said, I also believe that moving along the path to greater women’s political participation will further require renewed ideas and energy. There is outrage. But outrage alone cannot produce the kind of results needed to achieve political equality. 

The work should start now! Many hands on desk will be needed to reach this objective further. It is therefore important for those interested in gender and politics, particularly those concerned with the representation of women's issues and interests, to come together towards achieving this goal. 

(By Rajeshree Nagarsekar)