WUNRN
INDIA - WOMEN'S COALITION FOR CHANGE
SEEKS GENDER-SENSITIVE ELECTION CANDIDATES
For the first time, 350 women's and civil society organizations in the
influential state of Tamil Nadu are uniting against national parliamentary
candidates who are "gender unjust." Their coalition demands rights to
land, education, livelihoods and safety.
One of the
leading parties in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu--Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, or
DMK--has received a written caution not to nominate a party leader
to run as a parliamentary candidate in the national elections taking place from
April 7 through May 12.
The
politician, AH Nazeem, is a member of the legislative assembly from
In
response to his comment, the All India Democratic Women's Association filed a
petition in the
"If
Nazeem is nominated, we will campaign against him and ensure women don't vote
for him," said Burnad Fatima, the 52-year-old founder of Women's Coalition
for Change, a Chennai-based coalition that says it represents more than 2
million women.
As a
result of the coalition, which formed two years ago, 350 women's and civil
society organizations in Tamil Nadu are uniting for the first time against
candidates they consider "gender unjust" in the national
parliamentary elections next month.
"Since our aim is to expose candidates who do not respect women, we
have written to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, one of main political parties in
the state, asking it not to nominate AH Nazeem, a member of the legislative
assembly from Pondicherry, because of his support to perpetrators of a gang
rape," said Fatima in a phone interview.
Seeking Gender-Sensitive
Candidates
Nazeem is
just one example of the role the coalition may play in the election. Members of
the Women's Coalition for Change plan to use their networks at the state,
district and grassroots levels to defeat any candidate who supports misogyny,
discriminates against women or has been involved in gender-based violence. If
coalition partners see no gender-sensitive candidates on the party lists, they
plan to advise their members to opt for the NOTA, or "none of the
above," option.
The state
elects 39 members of Parliament and has played a key role in national
government formation in the last couple of elections.
Women's
concerns have always been given short shrift by the political parties, said
Sheelu,
who prefers to be known by her first name, is president of the Women's
Collective, a group of 100,000 marginalized women spread over 15 districts in
the state, which will work as a partner of the Women's Coalition for Change.
"The process of our coming together is a historic one because all of
us have overcome the barriers of caste and religion," said Sheelu in a
phone interview from Chennai. "We realized that individually, it was
difficult for each of us to create pressure. So, this time, we changed our
strategy and joined forces under one banner. Together, we are a big pressure
group being visible in all 39 parliamentary constituencies and in all 30
districts of Tamil Nadu."
Coalition Manifesto
The
coalition has issued a manifesto that outlines the concerns of all its
constituents, including women from marginalized communities, transgender
people, the differently abled, commercial sex workers and agricultural
laborers. It says it will only support political parties that incorporate their
issues into their own platforms.
The
coalition, after a consultative process with grassroots women representing
different communities, has set out specific demands on rights to land,
education, livelihoods, wages, equality and safety. It is also asking parties
to nominate more women not just as candidates, but also in key decision-making
positions within their organizations.
"We
need more women in governance and at crucial administrative posts in political
parties to inspire behavioral change," said
"As a
partner of the coalition, we have already formed groups and are reaching out to
the community," said Sister Alphonsa of the Thurumbar Liberation Movement,
a group working for the rights of the marginalized community of washerwomen in
the northern districts of Tamil Nadu. "Being the lowest on the caste
hierarchy, washerwomen are subjected to oppression by all. They need to be
informed about the candidate and how they can protect their rights by using the
NOTA option available for the first time."
Father
Arulvalan of the Thurumbar Movement added that the coalition will be looking
for the support of men as well. "Men play an important role in our society
and need to be sensitized not just about gender, but also about their
responsibilities towards women by voting for the right candidate," he
said.