Tackling the complexities of Indian politics is difficult for the layman as well as an experienced politician. However, women who wish to excel in the field continue to face tremendous backlash especially from within their party, said Shaina N.C., national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), at a panel discussion on Sunday.
Ms. Shaina was part of a discussion at an event ‘We the Women’ organised by Facebook in partnership with UN Women. The event focused on the contemporary reality of the political arena still being a man’s world, and how women deal with that reality. The panellists, including Shiv Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi and Congress spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed, used personal experiences and insights to elucidate upon the challenges that are unique to women in politics and the ways in which they can be handled.
“Today, women are still only trying to survive in politics. I was considered a bimbo from the fashion industry who had no idea about politics for a long time, despite being a political science and law student. It is time women set their own standards and challenged the status quo, which is what I have been doing throughout my career,” Ms. Shaina said.
The panellists agreed that it was only through reservation for women in Parliament and a sense of unity among them across parties that there could be hope for empowerment in the truest sense of the term. “It is no myth that older women in politics are not welcoming of young women into the field. This requires serious introspection and it is about time that this changed,” Dr. Mohamed, who is a trained dentist, said.
While Ms. Chaturvedi acknowledged the added pressure for women in politics to develop a thick skin against sexual trolling online and the persistent assumption of incompetence, she drove in the importance of women protecting their dreams from those threatened by them.
“Let nobody fool you, politics is definitely a career option for women. The only way we can expect the system to change is to do it ourselves by being part of it. As a woman, I feel that I can carve a space for other women who come after me,” Ms. Chaturvedi said.
The panellists also said a strong support system was crucial for women to combat the mental strain that accompanies the profession.
They also emphasised the importance of letting go of the ‘victim card,’ being assertive and working towards proving their competence through work to succeed in the politics.
“We must not let ourselves be tokens in the hands of power. Constantly question your agency and know that you are capable of sitting in the chair that men occupy. All you need is to be passionate about public service,” said Dr. Mohamed.
She said since neither of the three panellists came from political families, that in itself was a tremendous breakthrough which should inspire other women to claim their space in the political arena.
