IMPORTANCE OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN GOVERNMENT!

According to government data presented in the Lok Sabha on 9th December 2022, women's representation in Parliament and most States legislatures is below 15% with 19 Assemblies having less than 10% women lawmakers.

What do Germany, Taiwan, and New Zealand have in common? These are all countries that have women heading their governments. And although they are located on three different continents, the three countries seem to have managed the pandemic much better than their neighbors.

The important takeaway from it is the necessity of getting rid of inherent biases and perceptions about female effectiveness in leadership roles.

INDIA’S GRAM PANCHAYATS

Importantly, female leaders also bring something quite different to the table. In particular, they perform significantly better than men in implementing policies that promote the interests of women.

Pradhan's invest more in rural infrastructure that serve better the needs of their own gender. For instance, women Pradhan's were more likely to invest in providing easy access to drinking water since the collection of drinking water is primarily, if not solely, the responsibility of women.

ABOUT SUFFRAGE

Independent India can rightly be proud of its achievement in so far as women’s suffrage is concerned. Women were allowed to vote from 1950 onwards and so could participate on an equal footing with men from the first general election of 1951-52.

We have had and have charismatic female leaders like Indira Gandhi, Jayalalitha, Manavati, Sushma Swaraj, and Mamata Banerjee among several others. Interestingly, a glaring example of gender stereotyping was the labelling of Indira Gandhi as the “only man in the cabinet”. Apart from these stalwarts, the overall figures are depressing.

The female representation in the current National Democratic Alliance(NDA) government at the Centre is probably not very far from the typical gender composition in Indian central and State governments. Female members make up only about 10% of the total ministerial strength. The underrepresentation of female Ministers in India is also reflected in the fact that Ms. Banerjee is currently the only female Chief Minister.

The underrepresentation of women in Indian legislatures is even more striking. For instance, the 2019 election sent the largest number of women to the Lok Sabha. Despite this, women constitute just over 14% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. Tiny Rwanda comes out on top with a staggering 60% of seats in its lower house occupied by women.

THE WOMEN’S BILL LANGUISHES

Since women running for elections face numerous challenges, it is essential to create a level playing field through appropriate legal measures. The establishment of quotas for women is an obvious answer.

Attempts have also been made to extend quotas for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies through a Women’s Reservation Bill. Unfortunately, the fate of this Bill represents a blot on the functioning of the Indian Parliament.

STEPS TO REDUCING PREJUDICE

Of course, there is a simple fix to the problem. The major party constituents of the NDA and UPA alliances can sidestep the logjam in Parliament by reserving say a third of party nominations for women. This will surely result in increasing numbers of women in legislatures and subsequently in cabinets.

The importance of this cannot be overestimated. There is substantial evidence showing that increased female representation in policymaking goes a long way in improving perceptions about female effectiveness in leadership roles. This decreases the bias among voters against women candidates and results in a subsequent increase in the percentage of female politicians contesting and winning elections. So, such quotas have both a short-term and long-term impact.

Indeed, voter perceptions about the efficacy of female leadership may change so drastically in the long run that quotas may no longer be necessary!