Women in Politics | 08/04/2009 10:15 am

United Nations Offers Indian Women Online Course to Boost Their Numbers in Politics

As Indian women push for quotas in their national government to get more women into office, the United Nations is working to empower women in politics.

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

The United Nations is trying to encourage women in India to step up to the plate and be political leaders.

The United Nations Democracy Fund, in association with India’s Center for Social Research, has started training 1,000 Indian women via an online course in political leadership to boost their numbers in that country’s Parliament, reports the Times of India. And with India set to exceed China as the world’s most populous nation by 2050, they certainly need more women among in government!

The online politics program could have been prompted by a bill currently before India’s Parliament, the Women’s Reservation Bill. That bill would essentially establish a quota of women in Parliament — 33 percent of legislature seats — since women do not have a level playing field in politics in that country. "Even though political parties have promised to field more women candidates, in fact their numbers have not increased," according to CSR. It’s a "problem women face, particularly those without family connections, to find a place in the political arena." While most women in the government approve the bill, there are many men who continue to oppose it. Hundreds of women organized by the All India Progressive Women’s Association marched in New Delhi Monday demanding that Parliament pass the bill.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women last fall released a study saying women have entered politics in greater numbers than ever in the past decade, accounting for 18.4 percent of Parliament members worldwide, which was great news considering that in most countries, men have dominated politics for centuries. That study also boosted India’s idea for a quota system, noting that in elections held in 2007, women in countries with some form of electoral quota won 19.3 percent of the seats, as opposed to 14.7 percent in countries without such quotas. Of the 22 countries where women made up more than 30 percent of the national assembly, 18 had some form of quota.

In fact, that study expressed our thoughts exactly:

Political accountability to women begins with increasing the number of women in decision-making positions, but it cannot stop there. It requires governance reforms that equip public institutions with the incentives, skills, information and procedures to respond to women’s needs.

7 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I am surprised at India’s men population so against this bill. They had a formidable PM named Indira Ghandi, she was the first and only woman there that had the heart of India. She was one that wanted to make sure women as much as men had the same rights. It is a shame to see what the country has come to after her assissination.

By Beth Cornell on 08/04/2009 10:30 am

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More power to women! Sounds like the UN is really trying to improve the seats for a fair and balance government. I hope they success in some degree. I have my doubts. I can’t help but to cheer for them.

By Grande Camper on 08/04/2009 10:36 am

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This is very positive, good luck ladies.

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By Dee Toma on 08/04/2009 11:53 am

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You know what I find fascinating about this?

Here we are talking about the role of women in politics and the need (at least now) for quotas in regard to adding more women to the parliament. Why? Because women’s insights, perspectives and sensibilities are missing from the political system in India. No one is saying they will only think and act from a female perspective, simply that they will "bring to the job their female perspective"

And yet here we are in America with a panel of White males bashing a female Latina candidate for the supreme court because she has spoke of her ability to bring her unique perspective to the table.

I find that interesting……

By Belinda Joy on 08/04/2009 3:24 pm

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My thoughts exactly, Belinda! Honestly, I can’t think of a single job where the perspectives and insights of a woman would not enhance the profession. I just finished reading a book about Henry and Mary Ponsonby. Henry was Queen Victoria’s private secretary, and his wife Mary had served as a Lady-in-Waiting until she left to raise her family. Mary was a tireless campaigner for the right of women to work - - - yes, that’s right. Women were NOT allowed to work for wages until well into the nineteenth century. They couldn’t dream of entering any of the great universities. They could not earn a salary except as a governess or a prostitute. And Mary Ponsonby’s arguments were exactly in line with current discussions. Women represent half - or more than half - of the population, she said. Why would any right-thinking business, educational institution or government not want to include their body of knowledge and experience? What would be missing without it? By the time she died, in the 20th Century, she had seen women able to attend university, practice medicine, work in industry and business, vote, and be elected to public office. Somewhere, Mary Ponsonby is looking down and smiling in approval to see her principles and passions are still relevant, but perhaps shedding a tear to think that women still have to fight twice as hard to get half as far. But it is a great thing to see that the UN is working to help the process. Here’s to success, and to many more strong, proud Indian women taking their rightful place in leadership positions.

By Susan Crawford on 08/05/2009 5:50 pm