All-woman polling booths in 10 villages empower fair sex

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, September 19

The unique initiative of the district administration and the Election Commission of setting up an all-woman polling booth model in 10 villages of the district have proved to be a big leap towards women empowerment and gender equality in the state.

The polling booths at the government elementary schools of Bidhipur, Hajipur, Malkon, Tarad and Patti Kahanpur, Government High School at Bhagwanpur and Kaadian Wali, Government Senior Secondary Schools at Hajaraa and Talhan and Government Primary School in Wadala were headed by all-women teams during the elections today.

Entire employees at the polling stations, including the polling staff, police and security personnel, were women. They reached the station a day before and managed all affairs on their own.

Rajinder Pal Kaur, an inspector on duty at the model polling station, Kishangarh, while sharing about her her experience of having managed the poll duty on their own for the first time, said: “Though we were a bit nervous when we first reached the station a day before and have to stay for a night, but local residents were cooperative, hence, we managed all things well and did not face any difficulty.”

She said the experience had added confidence in her to tackle any untoward situation and had given a hands-on experience of the voting process.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police Navjot Singh Mahal also visited the all-women polling booths in Kishangarh and Kahanpur where they held detailed deliberations with polling staff, voters and representatives of political parties.

Varinder Kumar Sharma said setting up of all-woman polling booth was a crucial step towards breaking stereotypical beliefs that there were many jobs women could not do.

He said this would infuse a sense of confidence in the women polling officials, thereby encouraging them to perform their duty more diligently and efficiently.

An elderly voter, Kulwant Kaur, at Kahanpur while talking to The Tribune said: “For the first time I am enjoying voting as I am seeing all women staff around.”

She said she visited the school to offer help last night when she got the news that only women staff would be managing the poll affairs.

She said women staff of the Education Department carried out all work smartly without any fear and hesitation.

Another women on duty Kamalpreet Kaur said: “Things were managed in a right way before we arrived, as we received the material. We all had a great time tackling things and adding new things to our knowledge.”