SOIRU VELIP | NT
PANAJI: Despite the fact that women in Goa are much ahead in terms of socioeconomic indicators compared to rest of the country, they lag far behind when it comes to representation in the state politics.
The lofty ideal of ‘women empowerment’ remains hollow as major political parties seem less enthusiastic to nominate a woman candidate for assembly elections. The X factor of ‘winnability’ and other variables take precedent over ‘empowerment’ of women who are called ‘Ladli Laxmi’ or ‘Grah Laxmi’.
Except for the 1994 Goa assembly, which saw four women legislators, the number of women MLAs has not crossed two-member mark.
With this background, it would be interesting to see whether Goans really want to send more women representatives to the state assembly in the forthcoming elections.
‘The Navhind Times’ has found that so far a few women candidates have succeeded in making their presence felt on the electoral battlefield. But things can change in coming days.
However, political observers feel that factoring in the present political scenario new assembly may not have many women members.
Interestingly, this time the state boasts of more female voters than men. Out of total 11,10,884 voters, females are 5, 64,142 (51 per cent) while male voters are 5, 46,672 (49 per cent).
But out of 250 candidates vying to represent the 40 assembly constituencies only 17 are women and that too only for 12 seats.
The two main national parties have nominated just four women. The ruling BJP, which is contesting 36 seats, has nominated just one woman candidate – Alina Saldanha, the sitting MLA of Cortalim.
On the other hand, the Congress, which is contesting 37 seats, has given tickets to three women – Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate, Savitri Kavalekar (Sanguem) and Urmila Naik (Marcaim).
It must be noted here that Alina Saldanha, Jennifer Monserrate and Savitri Kavalekar could manage to get nominated because of their husbands.
Alina Saldanha got elected unopposed in a bye-poll held in August 2012 that was necessitated after her husband Mathany Saldanha, the then BJP MLA, passed away.
Jennifer Monserrate won the 2012 elections from Taleigao only because of her politician husband Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate.
Quepem MLA Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavalekar also managed to get Congress ticket for his wife Savitri Kavalekar for the Sanguem constituency.
The Aam Aadmi Party is the only party which has nominated highest number of women candidates – five. These five nominees are Shraddha Khalap for the Mapusa seat, Rosy Ursula D’Souza (Aldona), Loretta D’Souza (Vasco), Cecille Rodrigues (Taleigao) and Royla Fernandes from Benaulim.
Shraddha Khalap is a daughter-in-law of Congress veteran Ramakant Khalap.
The Goa Vikas Party has given ticket to two women zilla panchayat members – Nelly Rodrigues for the Cortalim seat and Maria Rebello for the Benaulim assembly segment.
The NCP has nominated Rakhi Naik for the Sanguem constituency.
The other women candidates are Helena Lourenco (St Cruz), Diya Shetkar (Shiroda), Maria Liberta Mendonca (Mormugao), Tara Kerkar (Dabolim) and Judith Almeida (Benaulim), who all are contesting the polls as Independent.
Three women candidates are in the fray in the Benaulim seat, two each in the constituencies of Sanguem, Cortalim and Taleigao.
Goa is often portrayed as progressive and women-friendly. However, there has been negligible role for women in political decision-making despite the fact that the literacy rate of Goan women is 84.66 per cent.
Historically speaking, Shashikala Kakodkar, who was the daughter of first chief minister of the state Dayanand Bandodkar, has been the only woman who helmed Goa after her father’s death.
Kakodkar was elected five times while Victoria Fernandes for four terms.
Urminda Da Lima Leitao (the first woman MLA in the state), Farrel Furtado, Sangita Parab, Fatima D’Sa, Nirmala Sawant, Jennifer Monserrate and Alina Saldanha got elected for one term.
While Jennifer Monserrate and Alina Saldanha are looking for second innings, Nelly Rodrigues is trying to be a member of the august House for the second time.
And the fate of other women candidates, who are fighting elections for the first time, will be decided by voters on February 4.