Tokenism is no longer a viable electoral strategy. Therefore if the Congress party through its Goem Rakhan Yatra intends to stand as a genuine movement to "save Goa's identity", it must acknowledge that Goa's identity is fundamentally tied to its women. Converting the role of women, the frontline organizers of the yatra from mere campaign marchers to the larger role of legislative lawmakers by identifying their leadership qualities and giving them tickets is the most definitive way the party can demonstrate its commitment to a "progressive, equitable, and democratic" future for the state.
The ongoing Goem Rakhan Yatra of the Indian National Congress (INC) party currently held in Goa is highlighting a defining moment across Goa. The overwhelming and enthusiastic participation of women leading the campaign from the front lines including AICC Co-In-Charge Dr. Anjali Nimbalkar, Mahila Congress Goa President Adv. Pratiksha Khalap, office bearers and grassroot volunteers, does not fail to capture the imagination of a women led media network like ours. Though it is framed broadly as a state-wide movement to "protect"or "save Goa", the party is attempting to bring concerns regarding women's safety, dignity, and justice to the forefront through their promotional materials and slogan, in a bid to garner the support of a large and most reliable community of electorate, is for now, appealing.
Earlier the leadership had loudly stated that the party is prepared to offer up to 50% reservation for women in electoral tickets for the upcoming 2027 Goa Assembly elections "provided strong women leaders step forward." While someone like me who has been consistently appealing to the male dominated political class to firstly start dismantling the patriarchal structural barriers that women face to enter politics, without which it seems most unlikely that independent women will "step forward" to seek tickets -- to my mind, this still marks a major commitment as the party marches forward with its pre-election strategy. Now, whether this rhetoric will fully translate into reality across all 40 constituencies remains to be seen. However, as the campaign gains momentum, there is a powerful socio-political case for why the grand old party must implement this very promise.
For decades, political parties have leaned on women to fill campaign rallies and manage ground-level mobilization, but when the time comes to distribute tickets, these very women get sidelined. To transition from symbolic mobilization to genuine empowerment, the Congress must bridge the gap between getting more women to join the yatra or ground campaigns to distributing tickets democratically. Honouring the very women leading their campaign with actual political authority is the only way to avoid the tag of political opportunism.
Historically, women's legislative representation in Goa has been remarkably poor. Since the state's liberation and the first election in 1963, a total of 12 women have actually been elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly accounting for a meager 0% to 7.5% of the Assembly's total strength. For a party like Congress to use women as the grassroots engines of campaigns without translating that energy into assembly tickets deepens this democratic deficit.
While civil women frontals and media network like ours have continuously called out the "patriarchal attitude" of mainstream political parties that hesitate to nominate women, the grand old party which has suffered a major trust deficit due to rampant defections, etc; a wave of women candidates at a time when women's political representation has become a hot political debate in the state -- can shatter this glass ceiling and position itself as a progressive champion of gender justice.
Our experience of exceptional governance at the Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat levels coupled with research has demonstrated, time and again, that greater political representation for women alters the legislative agenda prioritizing critical community issues such as sustainable tourism and infrastructure development,
safeguarding vulnerable livelihoods, particularly among coastal communities, ensuring basic public utilities, healthcare, and education. Notwithstanding, a diverse legislative assembly ensures that everyday challenges faced by locals are not overshadowed by corporate interests or political posturing.
Now let's look at the larger advantage. While the Union government passed the Women's Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) in 2023, its actual implementation remains delayed until after the next delimitation exercise, which is projected for 2029. This timeline lag leaves a vacuum. By voluntarily providing 30% to 50% reservation in ticket distribution for the 2027 Goa elections, as is the demand from the civil society, the Congress party can steal a march on its rivals. Showing real, measurable action ahead of the legal mandate proves that its commitment to women's empowerment is rooted in principle rather than compulsion.
In conclusion, if the Congress party intends to win the upcoming assembly elections, it cannot afford to overlook half of the electorate. Fielding women in winnable seats, and backing them with institutional campaign funding is no longer just an act of political goodwill. In today's political environment, it is an essential strategy for democratic renewal and electoral victory.
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