Polls will be acid test for Swaraj, Dixit

She says if these women are able to rope in more women to contest elections, their commitment towards the issue of political empowerment of women would emerge clearly.

Nath stresses that if more women are not encouraged to stand for elections this time around, “our demand for a constitutional action on women’s reservation would be justified.”

Nath, however, allays fears that enactment of the proposed 81st Amendment to the Constitution to provide for 33 per cent reservation for women wouldlead to more women contesting as proxy candidates. “Out of a total of 180 women candidates, perhaps only 50 would be proxies. Moreover, what counts is the fact that a woman is contesting elections,” she says.

Also, proxy contests have a ripple effect, says Nath, adding even if one woman contests elections as a proxy candidate, the third cycle of elections would eventually result in women contesting on their own.

She says only a woman candidate can bring about effective participation of women in the political process. “It is only through interaction with women representatives that women activist groups can actualise their agenda, be heard and change party ideologies to bring about greater gender justice,” she says.

If women are not encouraged to join mainstream politics, the only option left for them would be to launch an all-women’s party committed to an exclusive women’s ideology, Nath says.

She, nevertheless, acknowledges the fact that “starting a new party is no easy task and therefore, thefastest way to rope in more women into politics is to press for an amendment”. “Any other option would take a very long time,” adds Nath.