Women’s Struggle for Political Space

"This study deals with women’s quest for attaining equity with justice in the political field. It traces out the history of the effort by women for enfranchisement which often became violent and which was the first step towards participation in a democracy. However, to their dismay they have discovered that in spite of the right many of them are not aware of their vote and if they are cognizant of it, they are not allowed to vote according to their choice by their families. Also realizing that the right to vote may not be a panacea to all their ills, they have been constantly struggling for direct political participation in the various elected bodies. Finding that politics continues to be a fiercely male domain, women now seem to have accepted reservation as a means to attain their political objectives. Whether such representation will really lead to their empowerment or whether it will be another ploy to marginalize them, only time will tell."