Are women deciding Assembly elections?, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Political parties are increasingly targeting women as a separate vote bank in Assembly elections, rolling out welfare measures.
• In Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar transferred ₹10,000 to 25 lakh women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.
• PM Narendra Modi announced the transfer of ₹7,500 crore to 75 lakh women under the same scheme.
• Schemes like Urimai Thogai in Tamil Nadu and Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh provide direct cash transfers to women.
• Women's documentation is often weaker, disadvantaging them in exercises like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
• Women's participation in elections is increasing, but their vote remains enmeshed in other identities.

Detailed Insights:

• Political leaders now dedicate entire manifestos to women voters, acknowledging their increasing participation in the voting process.
• Measures like free cycles for school girls in the early 2000s and building more toilets have empowered women and given them greater agency.
• Schemes need to be implemented well and not just announced before elections to avoid being seen as bribes for votes.
• Conditional clauses in schemes, like requiring a 10th or 12th-grade certificate, can incentivize parents to educate the girl child.
• Women's gendered identities are enmeshed in their caste, class, and other social identities, making it difficult to imagine women's vote as a monolith.
• Women have always been marginalized socially across tribes, religion, castes etc. and that in some ways gives them a bonding factor to become a voting bloc.
• Women are adversely affected during rigorous exercises requiring documentation, creating a paradox where they are celebrated as voters but excluded during routine citizenship practices.
• After 2019, women have started voting independently and not essentially in favor of the parties that extend populist welfare schemes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Vote Bank: A group of voters who tend to vote for the same party or candidate in elections.
• Populist Welfare Schemes: Government programs designed to provide benefits and support to the general population, often with the aim of gaining popularity.
• Gender Gap: The difference in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women.