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Quota puts power in women
NDTV Correspondent, Sunday March 7, 2010, Tornalli village (Karnataka)
While the debate on Women's Reservation Bill gets hotter, here is a
case from a Karnataka village, of why a special quota can actually
ignite the hidden leadership spark in women.
Watching Muniratnamma work on the sewing machine, you wouldn't guess
she is the Panchayat president of seven villages. But she didn't know
her own worth until that day in 2005 when villagers forced this shy
tailor, then 20, to stand for elections for the reserved seat.
Her track record today - as her own woman and not a rubber stamp -
speaks for itself. Her three brothers and her father keep away from
her workplace.
"I tell them that Panchayat work is mine, house work is yours. You
should not come to the office even if I face difficulty in my
Panchayat work," she said.
A 10th standard pass Dalit woman, she earned the respect of her
village for what she has done, and for not who she is.
"They are definitely not puppets, let's not generalise. I train women
Panchayat members and I can tell you that 75 per cent do good work.
How much they struggle," said P Shilpa, Panchayat trainer, Sugrama
Federation.
But success didn't come easy for Muniratnamma, she too had to
struggle. Nine months into her term, Muniratnamma'
the Panchayat brought a no-confidence motion against her and took her
to court. But villagers stood by her.
"It is not at all wrong in giving 33 per cent reservation because
women work as hard as men," said Muniraju, a villager.
Muniratnamma is all of 25, single woman and a Dalit. She had to fight
against all these odds, mindsets and even a court case to stay where
she is, and win people's hearts. But if it were not for that reserved
seat in her village elections, this leader would have been just
another small-time tailor.
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