Commit to 50% Women Candidates in 2019 General Elections

The Issue

We have only 11% women in India’s Parliament and 9% on average in state Assemblies. But women make up nearly 50% of India’s population. So who is representing our rights?

If at least half of India’s MPs and MLAs were women, there would be more emphasis on issues that directly affect women and, by extension, the rest of society.

These would include issues like public toilets, women’s safety, law and order, the plight of women farmers, working women and childcare, safe and comfortable public transport, better quality schools and public hospitals and much more.

Currently, parties give only about 10-11% election tickets to women while men get around 90%! Because of this, women can’t even contest. This is despite the fact that over 10 lakh women have won elections and governed at the Panchayat and Corporation level.

This has to change. Sign my petition to get India’s top political parties to commit to ensuring 50% of the candidates running on their party tickets in the 2019 General Elections are women.

With mostly male leaders, women hesitate to report their problems or their problems aren’t taken seriously enough. Thanks to this, issues relevant to 50% of the population are ignored. India needs more women leaders. India needs to give #PoliticalPowerToWomen.

Leaders of all India’s political parties talk about women's empowerment. But all the talk is hollow unless there is women-led governance.

In the 2014 general elections, only 8% of the total tickets distributed went to women candidates. In the 2018 state elections across MP, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, less than 10% tickets went to women.

Some argue that women have lower capacity than men to win elections. But 9 of the 12 women fielded by the BJP in 2017 won. That’s a 75% success rate. The success rate for male candidates, in fact, was around 50% in 2017.

Others argue that women don’t want to contest elections. In 2014, 167 of 507 women who stood for elections contested as independents. Women clearly want to contest but are discriminated against when party tickets are distributed.

Sign my petition and let’s make sure that women get an equal chance at being our elected representatives in the 2019 General Elections.

Facebook: bit.ly/shakti-india 

Twitter: @politicalshakti

#PoliticalPowerToWomen
#SheVotes2019
#WeWill
#PoliticalWill

avatar of the starter
Tara KrishnaswamyPetition Starter

40,911

The Issue

We have only 11% women in India’s Parliament and 9% on average in state Assemblies. But women make up nearly 50% of India’s population. So who is representing our rights?

If at least half of India’s MPs and MLAs were women, there would be more emphasis on issues that directly affect women and, by extension, the rest of society.

These would include issues like public toilets, women’s safety, law and order, the plight of women farmers, working women and childcare, safe and comfortable public transport, better quality schools and public hospitals and much more.

Currently, parties give only about 10-11% election tickets to women while men get around 90%! Because of this, women can’t even contest. This is despite the fact that over 10 lakh women have won elections and governed at the Panchayat and Corporation level.

This has to change. Sign my petition to get India’s top political parties to commit to ensuring 50% of the candidates running on their party tickets in the 2019 General Elections are women.

With mostly male leaders, women hesitate to report their problems or their problems aren’t taken seriously enough. Thanks to this, issues relevant to 50% of the population are ignored. India needs more women leaders. India needs to give #PoliticalPowerToWomen.

Leaders of all India’s political parties talk about women's empowerment. But all the talk is hollow unless there is women-led governance.

In the 2014 general elections, only 8% of the total tickets distributed went to women candidates. In the 2018 state elections across MP, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, less than 10% tickets went to women.

Some argue that women have lower capacity than men to win elections. But 9 of the 12 women fielded by the BJP in 2017 won. That’s a 75% success rate. The success rate for male candidates, in fact, was around 50% in 2017.

Others argue that women don’t want to contest elections. In 2014, 167 of 507 women who stood for elections contested as independents. Women clearly want to contest but are discriminated against when party tickets are distributed.

Sign my petition and let’s make sure that women get an equal chance at being our elected representatives in the 2019 General Elections.

Facebook: bit.ly/shakti-india 

Twitter: @politicalshakti

#PoliticalPowerToWomen
#SheVotes2019
#WeWill
#PoliticalWill

avatar of the starter
Tara KrishnaswamyPetition Starter

The Decision Makers

Prof M.V. Rajeev Gowda
Chairman AICC Research Dept; National Spokesperson AICC; Ex-MP, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka
Responded
Dear Citizens, The Manifesto Committee of the Congress Party has taken note of Tara Krishnaswamy’s petition on Change.org asking all political parties to commit to having giving half of its tickets to contest the upcoming Parliamentary elections to women candidates. Like her, we believe that this will ensure that women have an equal opportunity at being elected in 2019. Under the leadership of Shri Rahul Gandhi, the INC also recognises that women hold up half the sky and their voices need to be equally represented in all fora, beginning with the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. I am proud to tell you all that my party, in its election manifesto, has promised to pass the long overdue Constitution (Amendment) Bill to provide for reservation of 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha. We believe that this gesture will encourage more women to become members of the Congress Party and rise up the ranks of leadership. You can read the full manifesto on manifesto.inc.in To remain updated on our work, follow us @INCIndia on Twitter. Thank you Prof MV Rajeev Gowda Member of Parliament & Convenor, INC Manifesto Committee
Rahul Gandhi
Indian National Congress
President
President
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Amit Shah
Amit Shah

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Petition created on 8 December 2018