When she was a little girl, she was fond of milk. Her grandmother would give her and her brother a glass-full of it every day. “But she would never fill my glass and add some water instead to bring it up to the brim. My brother also enjoyed the privilege of asking for extra milk which was denied to me,” recalls Santosh Yadav, Deputy Speaker of Haryana Assembly.
She knew that the treatment was unfair but had no clue how to handle it.
Gender discrimination is deep-rooted in Haryana, admitted Ms. Santosh., The State has a sex ratio of 850 females for 1000 males and a large per cent of women migrate to other rural areas to marry. Female literacy is also very low.
Ms. Santosh joined politics in 1980 under the leadership of Devi Lal and had been a State president of the mahila wing of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
A native of Kuksi village in Mohindergarh district in Haryana, she won the Ateli Assembly constituency on BJP ticket in 2014.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the National Women’s Parliament at Pavithra Sangamam, Ms. Santosh said compared to the past, the situation was ‘far better’. “Women must take advantage of the situation changing in their favour. They must come out of their passive mode and take up active role. Currently, we are witnessing a phase of transformation for women. I would want women to realise their potential and seize every opportunity that comes their way,” she says.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of Beti bachao, beti padhao, she said taking cue from the women empowerment mission embarked on by the Modi Government at the Centre, a slew of welfare measures had been initiated for the fairer sex in Haryana. “Haryana now has educated panchayat bodies. Education to women is our thrust area. Two women universities were opened very recently in my area. Women are very efficient. People talk about 33 per cent quota for women in legislative bodies. We should be actually asking for 50 per cent because we do have very competent and resourceful women who can efficiently shoulder any responsibility.”
Citing examples of mountaineer Bachendri Pal, ace tennis player Sania Mirza, Sushma Swaraj and the Phogat sisters who inspired a very successful film on their lives, Ms. Yadav sais they should be the role models for the current generation. “Even they must have faced several hurdles in their growth journey. But what we women need to understand is that we will have to work really hard and find our own way to success. Nothing is handed on a platter; you will have to earn it the hard way.”
