Ten out of the 14 districts in a State having women as District Collectors is no mean feat.
It was the recent appointment of Renu Raj as the District Collector of Alappuzha that completed the score ensuring that more than 70% of the Collectors in the State were women.
Irrespective of the debate whether it was the result of a deliberate State policy, the mainstream as well as social media has been exclaiming how the State has set a model for the country in women empowerment. But did it really?
“It is a positive development and can inspire a lot of young women to take up Civil Services as a career. But it is more of a personal achievement of those Collectors and does not reflect the empowerment of women in the State,” said K. Ajitha, women’s right activist.
Better coaching avenues that opened up in the State recently and quite a number of top ranks snatched up by aspirants from the State have contributed to the wave.
Police force
The appalling 8.79% representation of women in the police force is enough to set the record straight. Even though the State government has a policy to have 10% women in the force, the direct recruitment of women has been limited to the post of Civil Police Officers (Constables).
Hence you find a very small percentage of women in the police force in the positions of Sub-Inspector and above.
“A discussion to have one-third women in the force has been going on for a few years now. But nothing has been done so far,” said B. Sandhya, Director General of the Fire and Rescue Services, at the Women’s Parliament in Kozhikode on Saturday.
The presence of women in government services in the State, all sectors put together, is 34.34%, slightly higher than the national average of 30.8%, yet much lower than the 51% in the private sector in the State.
Few opportunities
All the claims of women empowerment in the State fall flat when it comes to the presence of women in politics and the opportunities they get in the sector.
“There is a general perception that politics is not a woman’s cup of tea and every political party in the State is still patriarchal,” said C.S. Sujatha, former Member of Parliament.
Even though women have 50% seat reservation in the local bodies in the State, the number of women MLAs in the Assembly has not gone beyond 10% in the last 6 decades. Even in the recent Assembly polls, none of the political parties provided tickets to more than 16% women candidates. Even if chosen to contest, they are often given the non-winnable seats.
“Sadly even parties that provide the maximum number of Assembly seats to women do not appoint women in decision-making posts in the party,” Ms. Ajitha said.
That the State is yet to have a woman as Chief Minister despite having many who fit the bill, reflects the state of affairs more.
