Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 03:
The failure of even a single woman candidate to get elected in the election of a State where the number of female voters far exceeds the number of male voters is nothing but the inherent weaknesses and distrust of women candidates by their own kinswomen, Prof Ksh Bimola Devi observed today.
Presenting a paper on the theme of 'Women empowerment through Panchayati Raj' during a workshop at State Guest House here today, Prof Bimola pointed out that before the reservation of seats under the Panchayati Raj Act, 1975 came into being, women candidates used to contest in the election against their male counterparts fearlessly.
But today despite the legislation women candidates seem to be looked down upon by the women voters themselves, she said.
The results of the recent State Assembly election in which not even a single woman candidate could be elected is the glaring example, she said, adding low literary rate, lack of identity of women in society and general distrust among themselves are some of the main reasons why Manipuri women have not been able assert their rights and take part in the decision making process.
Th Ibochou Singh, who presented another paper on the topic of 'Role of elected women members in Panchayati Raj in Manipur' maintained that a State can be truly developed only when the elected women representatives in the Panchayati Raj institutions know how to utilise their powers efficiently.
Today women are being given more power so much so that out of the total 699 women members in the Gram Panchayat, two of them have been vested with the power at par with the Deputy Commissioner of district, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner cannot take a unilateral decision without the approval of these two elected women members, he informed.
However, the level of awareness among the women members in this regard is still very low as they continued to live under the impression of being dominated by men in the society, he added.
The workshop was organised jointly by Kasturba Gandhi Kendra, Imphal and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Smriti, New Delhi as apart of the three day long observance of the 'Special programme for 100 years of Satyagraha'.
A large number of women members of Panchayati Raj and representatives of women's organisations present during the workshop.
Prof Ksh Bimola Devi and chairman of Kasturba Gandhi Kendra Kh Momon Singh inaugurated the workshop as guest of honour and president respectively.