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PANORAMA

Democracy Betrayed

Dilara Choudhury
***Why do the leadership fail to comprehend the insurmountable impediments — political, social and economic faced by women candidates and that without creating an environment it is extremely difficult for a dispossessed group to participate fully in the political process of the country?***
ONOTANTER Ma nosh g T Kanna. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. has inflicted the ultimate insults on the nascent democratic body politlk of Bangladesh. How? By protecting a negative attitude with regard to ensuring of an effective women 's voice In the rule of the country during her hour-long televised 'face to face with the nation' programme When a lady from audience asked the Prime Minister whether she considering the possibilities of increased reserved seats and direct election of women Instead of present thirty seats Indirectly elected for the Jatiyo Sangsad or not. the PM in her usual manner was. at first, evasive and then came out in full splendor. She acknowledged that the Cabinet has in principle approved the continuation of the present system and then blamed the Opposition for not cooperating with her government for necessary constitutional amendments in order to continue the existing arrangements.
She made it sound like as if continuation of the present system of indirectly elected thirty women reserved seats, which is to expire in year 2001. is the ultimate answer to women's political empowerment. As If enough has not been written and analyzed about how ineffective the roles and activities of the female MPs from the reserved seats have been in promoting women's Issues through their participation in the formulation and implementation of policies for women. As if the conscious citizens of this country are not aware about how the entire procedure, beginning from selection, nomination and election of these thirty female parliamentarians from the reserved seats highlight women's subordinate and dependency status and how they demonstrate that "women's travel from home to legislature following the patriarchal route" In effect "reestablish inequality hi gender relations in the socl-ety* and how they are being used as instant vote bank by our gender biased political parties.
In reality, however, there is a growing realization that the system must be made effective that the leadership of this country is committea to enhance women's input into the system. We are aware that there is a need to create a critical mass at the national level. However, only Increase in their numerical strength is not enough. Their potentials and efficacy
must also be harnessed by making them responsible to their constituents rather than to the party stalwarts. The present, system, in the given criteria, falls far short of such scenario. Interestingly, it seems that the PM is also aware of the shortcomings of the existing system otherwise she would not have, almost spontaneously responded that it was better to have something than nothing. Perhaps the Prim*? Minister and her advisors need to be told that there is another side of the coin and i.e. It Is better to have nothing than having futile and meaningless substance especially if there is an ulterior motive behind It. I do not condone BNP's boycotting of the parliament but I am relieved that its absence would block the passage of constitutional amendment bills, which would have created another 'thirty sets of ornaments' for next one decade. What a shame that would have been for the nation. By default then BNP Is helping our cause. We would rather have shunoo goal than useless gorus. Actually the PM and her advisors could have done a better Job, if they wanted to expose the opposition, besides demonstrating their genuine interest in democratization process, if the Cabinet had okayed in principle both Increased number of women's seats and mode of direct election and requested BNP to at least attend one session In order to serve the national interest. Was she afraid that BNP would have done It? Most likely BNP also would not have agreed to such arrangement (all major political parties have a consensus on this issue) but PM's case would have been stronger and her claim to be a champion of furthering democratization in the country would have been vindicated.
Guessing game aside what is sad about the whole thing is to helplessly watch our leadership's inability to understand that ensuring women's effective representation at every decision-making level is to fundamentally deal with a question of democracy and broadening its bases. If a country is serious about deepening its democracy it must have to deal with women's empowerment because for its effectiveness and success the full spectrum groups--major as well as the subgroups must be
brought Into the system. Democracy's success and failure depend on the roles played by these subgroups of which women constitute the majority. It must kept In mind that democracy as an ideal and principle Is inclusive and any system, which practices exclusiveness, Is not a democracy. The constant struggle by the marginalized groups over the right to be in rule of the country and their Inclusion through accommodation, which make the system Just and equitable. A system, which believes In exclusion. is anything but democracy. Inclusion of women who constitute fifty per cent of the population but remain at the periphery of the system with no access to power, resources, education health and equal opportunity. thus, form the very heart and soul of a democratic
order. But despite their claims on democracy through national liberation movement, mass struggle, women's movement and their voices being heard during the popular upsurges of the oppressed people and claims to power by the underprivileged, their rightful demands have always been pushed aside once struggle was over. As a result, as correctly argued by the feminist theorists, that women as a group, whose identities are based on gender rather than simply being individuals, have been in reality unable to enjoy the freedom and equality so eloquently prophesied by the exponents of such an order and been debarred in taking their destiny in their own hands. Obviously, in most countries democratic order remained a mere ritual than anything substantive.
Indeed new forms of democracy, more intensive and engaging have been called for. Womens participation became a part and parcel of such discourse. And worldwide women's movements, commitment by the international organizations as well as by the respec-
five national governments have come together to bring the issue of women's democratic rights to the fore. The Beijing Platform for Action defined two strategic objectives concerning women's participation in power and decision-making ensuring that women have equal access to and full participation in the structures of power and decisionmaking; and increasing women's capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership. The Commonwealth is also urging Its member countries to achieve a target of no less than 30 per cent of women In decision-making by the year 2005. The communique of the 1999 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting referred to gender equality as "an essential component of human equality and basic human rights. Various strategies have now been
adopted by its member countries around the world as part of a pledge to work with "renewed vigor" for "democracy." Increasing women's effective representation In the legislature Is, thus, a significant thrust and impetus in making women's voices heard in the management of the affairs of the country. The results have been quite hopeful.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) after re-examining the number of women in national decisionmaking noted encouraging trends tn most countries within its fold. It is also noted that in comparison to 1995. 25 of 46 Commonwealth countries analyzed in January 2000 demonstrate upward trend in the percentage of women parliamentarians in their Parliament but five have neither Increased or decreased their percentage, and 16 out of 46 Commonwealth countries have experienced a percentage decrease (Women in Commonwealth Parliaments). Needless to say that Bangladesh is one of those five and perhaps would soon fall into the category where the percentage is on
the decrease.
Interestingly. Bangladesh is a signatory to all the international conventions and promise bound to take steps to tiring women into the decisionmaking process of the country including in its top most national fora. It is also supposed to remain sensitive to the urging of the Commonwealth In the regard. But even after thirty years of Independence women’s voice has remained muted and stifled in the pivotal forum of our parliamentary democracy despite having dual' representation and successive government's claims in having impressive 11 per cent women's share in the national legislature. Their peripheral positions tn the Cabinet, absence as Presiding Officers, which have enormous impacts on the external perception of women in the Parliament, and cosmetic presence in the Parliamentary committee system aptly sum up the reality that persist under the facade of women's political empowerment. The Bangladeshi women leaders and academicians have repeated pointed out the causes of such malaise but to no avail. They have been persistence, especially since the democracy' movement that was Instrumental In overthrowing the autocratic regime of Ersnad. In their demands for being directly elected at a the highest level of decision-making. Such positive scenario was feasible had there been a total commitment on the part of the political leadership of the country. And had the political parties, in this context, been totally committed.
Unfortunately the fact of the matter is that our self-seeking politicians have been using the state apparatus for self-aggrandizement only without paying any heed to women and democracy as their political agenda. Unlike the political parties of a number of developed and developing countries who have adopted policies that enhanced women's candidacy winnable and numerically better. the ones in Bangladesh have been blissfully happy with their male dominated party structure and a women's front as fifth wheel of the party having no say either in the formulation of the party manifesto or
selection the candidates.
party in power did nothing tn bringing necessary electoral reforms similar to the ones which a number of developing countries have adopted after thorough research and negotiation. Neither has the management of electoral process been ’ I engendered. Sadly no attempts »* have made to create a conducive 1 environment so that women could take their rightful p|ace in the legislature. The question is; why do the leadership fail comprehend the insurmount-able Impediments — political social and economic laced by women candidates and that without creating an environ-ment It is extremely difficult for a dispossessed group to par. tlclpate fully in the political process of the country? And how long would the ruling elite use the pretext of disagreeable atmosphere as an argument for not granting the female population to be In the mainstream of the politics as evidenced by Chief Justice Hablbur Rahman's observation In a seminar organized by Khan Foundation that women should not try to contest direct elections as long as the situation is not conducive? But the point is how can there be a gender friendly atmosphere if the state remains gender insensitive in creating such environment? What really intrigues me is the way the leadership of our country remains completely oblivious about the reality and situation and then can make a case of women being unable and incompetent io take part in the electoral process and get elected in large number?
Prime Minister s challenge to women for not utilizing the opportunities of dual' representation and contest from ail three hundred seats is a cruel Joke in this context. Her example or for that matter examples of a couple of women parliamentarians are. for understandable reasons, exceptions and not the norm. The PM must know this. What our humble submission to Madame Prime Minister is that whether or not a society moves toward democracy is fundamentally shaped by the balance of power ' and since the power balance between men and women is pathetically lopsided it Is about time that serious attempts and steps are taken to correct that imbalance. Moving away from that commitment is tantamount to a betrayal of democracy.