Female vote bank

TWELVE women have been elected to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly this time, the highest number since the formation of the state in 2000. The talking point though is how women voters, who outnumbered men by nearly six lakh in the turnout, played a key role in propelling the Hemant Soren-led government to its second consecutive term. The clincher, by all accounts, was the Maiya Samman Yojana, providing a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to underprivileged women. Months ahead of the polls, a hike to Rs 2,500 was approved from December. If the BJP gained because of its popular Ladli Behna scheme in Madhya Pradesh, in Maharashtra, the Mahayuti coalition’s Ladki Bahin Yojana played a pivotal role in its electoral success. It offers Rs 1,500 as monthly direct cash transfer to women heads of households. A pre-election promise was to increase the amount to Rs 2,100. The focus on women as a target voter group is changing the electoral dynamics, but larger questions remain.

A social security net for those who need it the most is essential, whatever the cost involved and irrespective of the misgivings regarding subsidies. The caveat is to not reduce welfare schemes tailored to address women’s needs as mere tools of political outreach. An audit of such policy interventions is a must to gauge the impact the schemes are having in lending women agency — financially, in the social realm and in political engagement.

A noticeable change of late has been the bridging of the gender gap in voter turnouts. That said, the arrival of a distinctive women’s constituency in Indian politics is still in the works. The passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill after a prolonged delay offers hope, but any meaningful outcome requires a sustained commitment to the avowed goals.