By IANS,
New Delhi : Women rights activists have emphasised on increasing the participation of women in Indian politics as they will be able to provide good governance in the country.
“Women should come forward to achieve their goals. They should participate in the country’s election process and set an example for the entire world by efficiently working on issues that are close to their heart,” National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Girija Vyas said while addressing a workshop on Enhancing the Role of Women in Strengthening Democracy.
The workshop, which concluded Tuesday, was attended by women leaders from civic bodies, panchayats and legislators from various states. It was part of the NGO Centre for Social Research (CSR) and United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) Project aimed at addressing the gender gap as well as the challenges faced by women in Indian political processes and institutions.
“Women should get full freedom to rule the country. There should be more exposure for women in our political system. There will be a reduction in corruption if more women join politics,” said Aarti Mehra, former Delhi Mayor.
Women political leaders stressed on the need for capacity building of Indian women to ensure their enhanced participation in state and national politics.
Zoya Hasan, professor in Jawaharlal Nehru University, said: “The larger issue is about the position of women in political parties. The political parties are the villains of peace. They only use women as gatekeepers to mobilise the masses. Also, economic and political empowerment of women should go hand in hand as without economic empowerment, political empowerment will not hold any meaning.”
The two-day workshop included discussions on the Indian constitution, political set-up, concept of collective responsibility in democracy, governance, gender issues and women in politics.