TN Assembly: Where have the women gone?

The highest number of women legislators in Tamil Nadu was recorded in 1991 when Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister of the state.

TN assembly: Where have the women gone?

Published : May 6, 2021, 4:57 PM IST

Chennai: There has never been a dearth of high-decibel talks in various quarters on the need for empowerment of women in all fields including politics. But the reality is far from the ideal, leaving much to be desired.

As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, women have made a considerable progress in education, job opportunities, property rights and reservation. But when it comes to their representation in the Legislative Assembly and Parliament, theirs is a negligible number.

When the Dravidian rule, under the leadership of CN Annadurai, one of the five founders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, began in the State way back in 1967, there were only three women Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The number touched 32 in 1991 when J Jayalalithaa was at the helm of affairs in the administration. From then on the number of women MLAs has remained in double digit.

In 2016 there were 21 women MLAs and the just concluded 2021 Assembly elections have witnessed only 12 women donning the mantle of Member of the Assembly. The highest number of women legislators was recorded in 1991 when Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister.

From data available on this count, it’s manifest that only five per cent of women, by and large, have made their way into the Assembly. In the just concluded 2021 Assembly elections too, where the DMK front has recorded sweepstakes, only five per cent of women have romped home to victory.

In the 2011 Assembly elections, a total of 323 women were in the fray, trying their luck in the electoral politics. But out of them, only 21 managed to win the race. Moreover, from 46 reserved constituencies only five women were selected.

Read: 'If British ruled India again, I'd be happy': old interview with Gandhi's last PS

Speaking about this under-representation of women in the electoral politics, Sivagami, a retired IAS officer and social activist, said, “As most political parties field the candidates, who have a strong economic background, they don’t give much importance to the need for fielding more women candidates.”

In almost 200 constituencies, women voters outnumber men voters. Yet only a limited number of women are elected to the Assembly. A woman on condition of anonymity said, “Almost all political parties give chance to the persons of majority communities in the constituencies. They don’t care about giving chance to women. The main reason for this is the fact that though women make up majority in several constituencies, they are scattered on communal lines. Only if or when the menace of caste is eliminated, women empowerment is possible.”

There is a rule that in the constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu, 46 women can contest the elections. But in the recent Assembly elections, only five women (three from the DMK and two from the AIADMK) have won the elections.

Following is the list of the year and number of women MLAs in the Tamil Nadu assembly: