The MP government has done a commendable work by politically empowering the women by providing 50 percent reservation to women in local civic bodies, but this reservation did not come easily and the women had to wait for long period for this to happen. MP was pioneer state in implementing local self-governance after the 73rd and 74th amendments were made to the Indian constitution in 1993. But is the impact of this process visible at ground level in the remote and rural parts of the country. The state faces a number of challenges regarding leadership of women – whether the leadership is at the level of political parties, administrative posts or at municipalities or panchayat level. There are big claims and some efforts towards empowerment of women in state, but the ground reality is totally opposite. Even 13 years after implementation of local self-governance system, women have to do a lot of struggle to maintain their dignity in the system. The biggest reason for this struggle is their being illiterate and uneducated.

The disparity in education starts right at primary level, the reasons being social, political and economic. Keeping the girl children deprived of education as they are `others' property', keeping them at home to take care of younger siblings, not prioritizing girls as boys are considered support for old age and mainly politicians and policy makers not giving enough encouragement to women's education to maintain the patriarchal form of society.

Thus, after long struggle women might have got success at some fronts, but they are inadequate. Fortunately women are making best use of the opportunities they have got and are trying to remove the historical disparity they face. They know that education is a potent weapon for their struggle and thus the women in leadership positions are pushing for education of girl children.

The number of elected women in panchayats in Madhya Pradesh is more than the number of reserved seats, which shows that the women are capable of leadership. It is surprise that the male panchayat representatives prioritise construction work, employment and social dignity much more than welfare works on health and education, as is done by the women representatives. But women representatives have to face many problems and there is no dearth of people who try to create hurdles in their way. To understand the issue, one needs to understand the working style and the problems faced by some of the women panchayat representatives.

Kamla Bai is the sarpanch of Rampur village in Baghelan tehsil of Satna District. Since last one year, she has not been able to get done the work of Sampurna Gram Rojgaar Guarantee Yojana (SGRGY), because the village secretary is hell bent on not allowing her to do so. The issue was taken to the chief executive officer of the local Janpad panchayat seberal times, but no solution was found. The dalit women sarpanch in Ashta tehsil of Sehore district is stoned in public for organising a gram sabha on January 26 and police registers no FIR. In Petlawad tehsil of Jhabua district, several anganwadis remain close simply because the anganwadi workers have to come from other village and despite several complaints by dalit woman sarpanch, the women and child development officer does not take any action.

In most of the places, dalit women sarpanchs and panchs complain that district and janpad level officials openly ask for commission for disbursing amount meant for government schemes, but the senior officials do not find any solution for this problem. The court orders are openly violated in the PDS shops and only 17 to 20 kgs of food grain is given instead of the due 35 kg. Especially in the panchayats where women are sarpanchs, the officials do not even listen to the problems, let alone finding solution to them. The middle-level and rural-based administrative officials reportedly find it difficult to communicate with the women leaders. Probably they doubt the competency and abilities of these women and thus the problems continue year after year.

Against this if some empowered, educated and financially well-off woman decides to participate in the self-governance process by accepting challenges of leadership, then too there is conspiracy to somehow remove such woman from the leadership. President of the Bagli municipality of Dewas district Shyama Tomar is good example of this attitude. After about 20 years of government service, the PG and law degree holder Shyama Tomar was unanimously elected as Municipality president and undertook several work of people's welfare and thus broke the network of commission and bribing. After regular tiffs, mud slinging in media, public slapping of Shyama by the vice-president of the municipality and no action by indifferent administration, Shyama was removed from her post under the accusations of administrative incompetence. This incident is a big challenge before the entire women's policy and the government that claims to be making efforts to empower women.

It has been 13 years since women got 33 percent reservation in self-governance, but the sincerity and far sightedness with which the policy needed to be implemented could not be done. The widespread administrative sensitiveness and deep commitment irrespective of political affiliations required to bring women truly forward in all spheres of society seems to be lacking. Day after day, several announcements for welfare and provision of equality of women are made, but the understanding and sensitivity to change the societal system are unfortunately lacking. The use of section 40 to remove women from their posts in panchayats is a matter of deep worry.

In the next panchayat election, women would be seen undertaking good governance in local bodies taking the help of the 50 per cent reservation policy. The dream would change into reality, but we would have to make such efforts that could help in looking at the system of society with new perspective, help in breaking the feudal and caste-based system and provide equal opportunities to women to develop their abilities and skills in a sensitive administrative set-up.

State leadership: Missing Women

The members of the Madhya Pradesh Women Commission is mandated to have a Women chairperson, but the members of the commission have been demanding the appointment of a female as member secretary of MPWC for a long time with a argument that then only affected women will be able to share the facts and truth in the Commission. Otherwise the process will be affected.  Recently MPWC had a member secretary (male) himself was facing charges of violence against women and after struggles from the commission members Government of Madhya Pradesh suspended him. Now the biggest question is that what are the criteria followed for the appointments in the Commissions and other institutions created to provide Justice, Justice to the most marginalized and excluded.

Whenever we talk about women leadership or women in power, we immediately think of a story of women sarpanch. Then we look at it whether any sarpanch had constructed a road or pond and then the typical question is who had helped her to fight the elections, whether it was her husband or father in law? We have constricted our definition of women empowerment.  Looking at the state of Madhya Pradesh half of the posts of Panch and Sarpanch have been reserved for women in Panchayati Raj system. Politically this is a developmental step but if we look through the lens of women’s role in politics there is a need to look beyond the rhetoric. Whenever there is new step taken in the direction of reservation for women, Government proclaims as the political justice done for half of the population. A recent study undertaken proves that in Madhya Pradesh women get reservation only upto that level where they have to just follow the fixed policies and programme without any discussion or argument. Women are absent from that stage and programmes where these policies and programme are formed into action plans for implementation.

In the surveyed posts in the state which looked at the gender ratio of the 353 important posts in the state (including state assembly, parliament, and heads of commission, corporations) 325 posts have men. It’s a bitter reality that in Madhya Pradesh women are constrained completely from 92 percent posts.

Women in Commissions – In the state commissions have been established in the state for social justice and development equity mainly have men in position of power.  Out of eleven commissions established by the Madhya Pradesh Government ten are occupied by men. Women commission is the only one in which has women at the post of president and members. May be the reason is that since this commission is concerned with women that is why there is provision of appointing women only. Madhya Pradesh state human right commission role is majorily on protection of human rights. Madhya Pradesh is one of the three states where the cases of violation of women rights are the maximum, but in MP it always has been male who had headed the human rights commission. Similarly Madhya Pradesh’s State Schedule Caste & Tribes is also headed by male chairperson. In the process of economic decentralization, in Madhya Pradesh has a state electricity board. Its role is to take decision related to electricity and power. Today span of its authority is more than Government decision makers. But not only its members but its President is also male. Madhya Pradesh public service Commission is the only commission beside women state commission which has woman member on its board but again it is headed by male. Out of 11 commission only 3 commissions where we can see woman in the post of secretary. This survey is pertinent as Commissions of the state these are responsible and empowered for protection of human rights and social justice. Though in terms of political rights these commissions are considered to be powerful but though in reality postings of the heads of these commissions have been prerogative of the politically elected State Government, hence they remain subservient to the state.

Universities of Madhya Pradesh – Recently a use and importance of women study centre was under scanner and it was decided to close the centre. Affiliated to Barkhatullah University, the role and importance of this women center was not felt by leadership of the University. May be it will be surprising fact to find out that that the training, education and research on the women issues will be the least in the state universities. Education of women here means home science and maternal health. It is important to point out here that out of 12 universities, situated in MP, no University has women vice-chancellor or registrars, (even the name of these posts reflect gender bias). Do the policy makers think that universities under leadership of women will not be able to do play its role effectively or there are no women in the state who are able to its role as a vice-chancellor?

In the power and as public representative – It is true that there is major fight for gender equity is in area of political representation. In Panchayats they have got equal posts but in State assembly and parliament, they still remain out numbered. Only 18 members of legislative assembly are there in the state assembly to represent 3.25 crores women of the state. In lok sabha out of 29 seats, three are with women members and in rajya sabha out of 11 seats from the state three are women. For almost half population gets not even 10 percent representation probably our political mindset are not wiling to give more. In Madhya Pradesh State Ministers out of 30 ministers only two are women and both of them are in women and child development department. Not only government but even our society has a mindset that more serious should not given to women.

Women in State Business and Development Corporations – In past few years somehow state’s development is being linked only to investment and construction. Government has willingly accepted to the principal of privatization. If we just total the proclamations made by the Chief Minister on the expected investment in the state, 2 lakhs and 76 thousand crore is almost ready to b invested in the state. To manage these resources there are six corporations. In these six corporations there is not a single woman on the post of president or secretary or commissioner. We may not have long to wait when we will see that women are completely left out of the this developmental process while we still be telling stories of Indira Nooyi to our children. When will the day comes when women naturally will be considered a leader.  In the same way out of 11 departments and 8 cooperatives have male leadership.

Table 1 – State leadership: Missing women

Participation in Polity is said to be essential for human development. UNICEF’s 2007 report clearly points out that priorities for women are different from men, and similarly the reasons to enter politics is different for women than that of men. About 40% of women enter politics because of interest in social service. They do not enter politics via party politics way.  Men control political and economic system in many countries. Habits like drinking, smoking or playing golf help men to get closer and also help them to climb ladders in politics. In Madhya Pradesh the typical male dominated mindset is clearly reflected in the gender wise distribution of authority and power.  Because women are not absent at higher positions in political arena, women get less opportunity to reach to the higher positions. Bureaucracy is unrestricted s of now and in presence of women they would have to change to control their method of conduct and behviour. This is also one of the reasons that they do not want to see women working as officers and leaders.

Madhya Pradesh has huge challenges like maternal mortality, infant mortality, helath and violence amongst women. In spite of knowing the realities Government is unable to combat the same appreciably as women are kept away from the forums which are there to make policies and the process of social justice. This boycott is not due to ignorance but deliberate in this new era to keep women out of political puzzle.

Today in Afghanistan parliament there are 27.3 % women while in Madhya Pradesh state assembly women has only 7.8% representation. According to the situation in January 2005 globally 14.3 % government ministries were held by women but in Madhya Pradesh only 6.6% are women Ministers.

No doubt that reservation is subject of controversy in politics but in India benefits which have been accrued by women getting through reservation at local level proves that with increased participation of women have helped in increasing availability and usage of resources for human development. Besides sorting out problems which have direct impact on women, children and teenage girls got priority on its own.

A study from West Bengal show that villages which follow reservation policy have got double investment on providing facilities for drinking water and condition of roads is double better than villages which do not have reservation policy. Not only this possibility of repair of roads is 20 % more in the same villages. 26 % of villages which follow reservation policy (and 6 % in villages which do not follow reservation policy) new bio gas schemes have started. Due to active monitoring the number of visits by the health workers is much higher [UNICEF, State of world’s children-2007].

It is clear in this scenario that in Madhya Pradesh women are represented at two lower levels but in when it comes to leadership where important decisions are made preference is still not given to women. Environment for women reservation in special to ordinary corporations or boards to commissions established for protection of various rights has still not being built. Also women wanting or in need of justice are getting disappointed due to lack of representation of women.

The call for women empowerment is most vital today, but there is glass ceiling under the corridors of power that there is possibility of women reaching out to highest level of representation but they are not allowed to break that glass ceiling.

Sachin Kumar Jain