Poor, illiterate and low caste they are but thousands of such women are promptly throwing their hats in the political arena in the backward east Indian state of Bihar to acquire leadership status in the forthcoming rural polls. As fifty percent of seats have been reserved for women for the various political posts under the Panchayat (rural self-governance bodies) polls, rural women of all socio-economic status have filed their nominations to win a space under the sky.
The initial response from women has been very encouraging. The election officials are happy to see that women are taking great interest in the Panchayat election process and are vying for top post of Mukhiyas (village heads).
Elections for the 2,60,612 posts of rural self-governance under Panchayat system are going to be held in Bihar from May 2 where women folks are most illiterate and poor.
During the last Panchayat polls in 2001, women folks had only 33 percent reservation but this time it has been enhanced to 50 percent.
Election officials believe that reservation for women has enthused the rural women folk to come up and contest Panchayat elections as even during last polls, number of women had won the polls and were successful in their jobs despite male dominance.
The enhanced quota of women in the Panchayat polls has unseated many male Mukhias and most of them have fielded their wives or women relatives.
In many cases, the wives and women relatives are illiterate and reluctant candidates but they too know that they would just be signing papers and rest of the work even after they win would be done by their husbands or male relatives.
Many males have landed all the female members of the family to contest in the polls even when they are themselves contesting. As the seats are reserved for women, it is easy for them to win them. At the local election offices in blocks and districts, women candidates wearing bright saris, riding on a vehicle with their husbands make a beeline to file the papers as their husbands and lawyers dictate them to put in their signatures on the papers.
Coming out after filing papers, a crowd of supporters cheer the women candidates and from their they take out a procession to the village and the campaign trail starts.
The reservation has however also made some of the educated women to come into the fray and contest the polls with a certain agenda.
As reservation limit has been enhanced, officials feel this time around more dalit (low-caste) women would muster up courage to fight the elections and thus will help the process of women empowerment in the male-dominated rural society of poor and backward state like Bihar.
Bihar is notorious for poor female literacy of less than 40 percent and the state witnesses more female child marriages and bride burning compared to other parts of India.
Experts feel greater women participation in rural self-governance and especially more women as heads of villages would usher in a great change in the socio-economic status of women in the traditionally inclined rural society.