“We see women at very good positions in administration, finance. So why aren’t they in politics? Certain factors that hold back women is that politics is a dirty business, that it demands tremendous sacrifice and time. I agree with that but if politics is dirty, someone has to clean it,” said Shalini Yadav of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at the Women Economic Forum 2017 in New Delhi.
Yadav is also a writer who has dabbled in intellectual entrepreneurial efforts in radio and education ventures. At WEF 2017, there were people pulling her aside and asking why she chose AAP.
“I joined AAP because it represented a new facet of politics — politics of hope. World over, we felt that citizens should be more involved in the political process as democracy was starting to become a sham. People were being elected, they’d be sent to the parliamentary bodies and then citizens would be forgotten,” she replied.
“The decision-making was taking place at a higher level where citizens were not getting adequate representation. And this is something AAP promised to change. We believed in decent politics, where decisions would be taken by the people themselves,” added Yadav, who now serves as AAP’s state observer for the Haryana unit.
Her reason to set aside intellectual pursuits for active politics was backed by her wish to see a change.
'It’s time more women get into influential politics'
“AAP is also a substitute to the regular politician. We say to our Constitution that we are here and we want to be that change.”
The change she wants is the change under served women cry out for. The only answer seems to be women actively taking up roles in politics.
“I have worked for elections in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. I have come across situations that have made me realize how important it is for women to be empowered and to be politically emboldened. I have worked in areas like Mewat right next to Gurgaon, and I could not believe what I saw — the water taps have been dry for more than 10 years, there are no schools, no electricity. Campaigning in areas like that is a nightmare,” she explained.
“We conducted our campaign in candle light. The women at these meetings were so glad that someone was coming to hear them out. There was this expectant electric energy of hope in the air awaiting us, where women felt someone was there to listen to their issues.”
This is why it’s an imperative for women to get into politics.
“Women are the ones that bear the brunt of all political decisions. And yet they are the ones that who have the least amount of power. They have no voice, they are not involved in decision making. The world over, at all international forums, it has been said that there must be at least 30 per cent representation of women in government. Only 11 countries have this. India, along with many other countries, have the same dismal,” Yadav rued.
It’s time women pushed their way out of fringe politics to the main stage of the real albeit somewhat dirty political game.
BW Reporters
Regina is a reporter for BW Businessworld. In her previous assignments, she has worked with Independent television Network as a news anchor and reporter in Sri Lanka
