For the members of India's first women's party, brimming with hope and energy, the sky—and not just half of it—is the limit, says Geeta Seshu
No men allowed. Not as active members, and definitely not as leaders. In the world's largest democracy, half its electorate is staking its claim to power— a political party of women, by women—but for the people.

VARSHA KALE - NATINAL PRESIDENT WPI

LET US TURN HISTORY INTO HERSTORY!
Dear friends,
Time has come to turn history into Herstory and Herstory is being written in India with the launching of the first ever all women political party, the Womanist Party of India (WPI). A new PURPLE colour is all set to beautify the political horizon of the largest democracy in the world.

We, the women from Maharashtra, one of the leading states of India, have formed our own party with the aim of getting a foothold in the hitherto male bastion-politics. As in childbirth, the inception of women’s party will also involve pain, labour and risk. However, being women, we have decided to take on this challenge for the sake of the whole of society and humanity.

We have decided to contest the forthcoming parliamentary and state legislative elections on our own strength and field our candidates in each constituency within Maharashtra. Even before the formal declaration of the party, we have developed a strong support base in some parts of rural Maharashtra. After the formal declaration, we have received a massive response from the women for our membership recruitment drive, which has been launched on the first of November 2003. We have set a target of registering five hundred thousand members within a year in Maharashtra alone. The state-wide party convention will be organised in April 2004 to decide about the long-term programme and policies of the party in a participatory manner.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
When we took this decision, we were not aware of some of the recent world-wide developments in women’s movement, as most of us belong to farming caste background and not exactly a part of elite women’s liberation groups. However, now we can see, what we were doing, was not an isolated phenomenon but was in tune with the trend that has been taking shape since the late nineties, all over the world. In countries such as Belarus, Australia, Greece, Russia, Philippines and Cambodia, women either have attempted or have formed separate political parties to contest elections. In several countries, NGOs and women’s groups are championing for increasing women’s participation in electoral politics and educating women voters. These bold initiatives are commendable and need strengthening. They showcase, not only a growing realisation about the need of a separate women’s party amongst women world over, but also the emergence of women as a new political entity. Womanist Party of India (WPI) is the third autonomous women’s party in Asia and presumably within the first ten in the world. We commit ourselves to build alliances with these political initiatives taken up by women all over the world to forge international unity and solidarity of women.

NATIONAL CONTEXT
India is the largest and one of the vibrant democracies in the world. It has seen an eruption of different political identities and forces in the recent past. Indian society as a whole is in turmoil with the growing political aspirations of different social groups. A closer analysis of socio-political situation suggests that women are poised to emerge as a new claimant of greater political representation in the near future. This will have a far-reaching effect, not only on India polity, but also on the world.

RATIONALE BEHIND THE FORMATION OF THE PARTY
The decision to form an autonomous women’s political party, however, was not taken on the basis of mere ethical and humanitarian grounds, though they are quite strong. This decision was a natural outcome of realisation after years of frustration and disillusionment from the mainstream political parties in India. In all these years after independence, what women got was only rhetoric and unfulfilled promises. Women are now sick of the rhetoric and they do want action. They want it for themselves and for the society. They want to achieve true political equality. Existing political parties are not genuinely interested in and not capable of absorbing the growing aspirations of women in India. This can be seen from the way various parties play with the issue of women’s reservation in parliament and the way they treat women aspirants while allotting tickets for elections.

The present situation in India offers the opportunity for a large number of powerless rural women to enter active local governance at its basic level and become partners in the developmental process. For many years, rural politics has remained in the hands of few local influential persons or local politicians. Nevertheless, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment reserves one-third of the total seats for women in the local bodies. This makes it possible for women to contest the local elections and participate in the village Governance. In Maharashtra State itself, more than one hundred thousand women are elected as Gram Panchayat members and nearly ten thousand have become Sarpanch’s (head of the local body). This, of course, is a very new experience for women and it has increased their capacity to govern. Women’s participation in the local governance has started breaking the earlier norms of rural politics. Though very few women are actually taking part in the governance, many are shadowed by the proxy rule by their husband’s or other influential male member of the village or political party. Those women, who try to work for the cause, still have to face many obstacles, such as patriarchal set-up of the society, caste, traditional norms and customs and the lack of socio-economic-political strength to stand against strong opposition. The most important effect of this process is that a group of women with some degree of political experience and awareness has come into existence in almost every village. These women are capable and confident enough to form a separate political group at the local level, if they are provided with a platform such as an all women’s party. Women have very low levels of representation in parliament and state legislatures despite years of work by talented women in every party. Women who tried to enter politics were subject to popular ridicule in the past. Political parties routinely excluded women from decision-making positions, resisted nominating them as candidates, and denied their women candidates’ adequate campaign support. Many of these women believe their efforts are wasted and at best overlooked, no matter how talented they are or how hard they work. The growing frustration and desperation amongst women political workers of different political parties has even led to suicide attempts by sidelined aspirant women candidates.

The reservation for women at present is insufficient and we all know the kind of “games political parties play” in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) with the women’s reservation bill. We hope that our move will encourage them to pay more attention to women voters and pass the bill immediately. Further, the system of rotational reservation in local governing bodies has done more harm than good, not only for women, but also for men. Several women who have served capably are denied the tickets, once the constituencies are de-reserved, as if the open seats are reserved for men politicians. This practice had a demoralising effect on potential women candidates for the reserved seats.

Women voters have played a significant role in bringing different political parties to power at different times in the past. Aware of this, all parties are trying to mobilise women support, resulting in their increasing participation in political activities. Despite this, whenever women’s issues come to surface, such as passing of the women’s reservation bill or domestic violence bill, all political parties, including those who are having a large number of women in their rank and file, and those who are led by women, neglect women’s interests. This shows that mere participation is not sufficient and what is required is real representation of women constituency. All women political party is the only way women can get their views and interests taken on board in the hostile male-dominated world of politics.

In short, the situation in India provides appropriate productive ground for the formation of an autonomous political party. On the one hand, the growth of education, employment and rotational reservation of seats have contributed to the growth of political awareness and aspirations amongst large number of women. While on the other hand, the existing political parties are unable to satisfy the growing aspiration of women by providing them enough space and opportunity due to their women hostile culture, values and structure. Women’s participation and interest in the political activity has increased but not the real representation. Formation and strengthening of an autonomous women’s party is the only way to increase it.

FEMINISATION OF POLITICS
Politics of the New Age
Every age, bring with it, its own unique set of concepts and values. Sometimes, the virtues of one age turn into vices in some other period. The traits and tendencies, which are considered as qualities and strengths in one era, end up as weaknesses in another. The qualities of the men politician such as good oratory, dominating personality and competitiveness, are no more assets in the new kind of politics. On the contrary, soft, mild and co-operative type of personality, which a majority of women have, can be more effective in today’s politics. Most of the present problems are results of the mess created by the patriarchal dominated male politics. Womanist Party of India (WPI) will try to initiate the process of feminisation of Indian politics. It means, it will bring such new values, perspectives, methods, ways, attitudes, styles and spirit into politics that is more close to women’s nature. We believe women can offer alternate framework and culture to the established politics. The feminisation of the politics should not be seen as degradation. It is necessary to change the present political culture and structure to further strengthen and expand the base of democracy. It will be difficult to further and facilitate the development in future without giving women their due share of power. Women will only get into power if the political culture is feminised. As an all women political party, we are committed to change the political culture and make it more feminine and we believe that it will be the biggest asset of our party.

“POLITICS OF CARE”
Being women, we are committed to evolve an alternative perspective on governance. At present, the governments are careless about the majority of people they govern. Gone are the days, when government was supposed to be the ‘welfare state’. In this era of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation, the whole society is in turmoil and chaos. Majority of the people living in this era face extreme economic, and consequently, psychological insecurity. In the rural area, the process unleashed by globalisation, commercialisation and privatisation of the precious natural resources, has endangered the livelihood and food security of the marginalised population. In the cities, employment security is a thing of the past.

The psychological insecurity amongst the youth, make them an easy prey for macho and fanatic forces of different communities. Such fanatic forces, not only disrupt social harmony, but also make each section of the society insensitive towards the other and the ultimate victims of this mass and cross community fanaticism are women belonging to all sections of the society. Therefore, the government in this age of globalisation should be feminine, motherly, caring and sensitive, to be precise, “Womanist”.

The Womanist Party of India (WPI), not only wants to achieve political equality or transfer of power to women, but also develop and change the concept of governance. It will strive to usher the “politics of care”, where the government takes care of the weaker and marginalised sections of the society. It will be sensitive to the plight of the poor, downtrodden and exploited people. It will feel the sorrows of street children, miseries of deserted women, and horrors of communal frenzy and riots.

Give women the power, and they alone will be able to provide a model of governance, suitable for the present age. This age calls for an altogether different set of values and capacities for good governance and an efficient administration that women naturally possess. Our Party will bring the inherent womanly traits into governing of the country.

‘POLITICS OF SHARING’
You do not care about the people with whom you do not share. Women are known for sharing with others and initiate communication. Two-way communications between the state and the citizens is a necessity for efficient administration and development. Womanist Party of India will take effort to evoke participation of the common people in planning and administration. Opinions of the common people, and not just the experts, are important in the planning and development process. Being women, we do all our work at home, taking into account views of all the members of the family. Younger generation is always comfortable about sharing things with mothers than the father. Similarly, we are committed to create a congenial atmosphere, in which rural farmers, illiterates and women can speak out and the government gives importance to their views, as a crucial planning component. Women have a lot to share and say, but they cannot express themselves, due to the patriarchal, political and administrative structure. WPI commits itself to develop women friendly, people friendly, administrative culture and structure so that the common people can participate.

We will not withhold information and knowledge from the people. We are committed to give people the government of the new millennium and which will be suitable for the development of true knowledge and an informative society.

Even now, we are developing our Party Manifesto and Party Programme, in a participatory manner, involving different sections of the society. Everyone can join this process. This will set a precedent for other political parties in India and the process of feminisation of politics will begin.

PARTY PROGRAMME
The state-wide Party Convention will be organised in April 2004, where the delegates will collectively (in real terms) decide about the long-term programme and policies of the party. We want to evolve within the organisation a democratic and collective decision-making process to make the women’s party ‘a party with a difference” (again in real terms). The party will develop policies from women’s perspective, in areas including employment, social security, the environment, health, education and human rights.

Following are the provisional demands and they will become a part of Party Programme, only after their due ratification in the forthcoming convention of the party.

1. The present reservation should be properly protected for effective implementation of the PRI and it should be increased to 50 percent from the present 33 per cent.
2. A bill with a provision of 50 per cent reservation for women should be passed for the Lok Sabha and State Legislature.
3. Women’s name should be included in the 7/12 document (Land ownership Deed)
4. Immediate implementation of the Maharashtra State Women’s Policy (declared sometimes back).
5. Women should be provided with adequate micro credit through village co-operative societies.
6. Mechanism should be evolved to open district women’s co-operative banks in all the districts.
7. 50 percent positions be reserved for women in the board of directors of co-operative banks, state corporations, charitable trusts, government aided schools and colleges’ managing committees.
8. Women hawkers, vendors and self-employed women should be given 50 percent reservation in the identified hawker’s zones in Gram Panchayat (village council), Nagar Palika (Municipality) and Mahanagar Palika areas.
9. Women should be given 50 percent reservation in allotment of stalls, shops and canteens on contract basis, by railways, state transports and government offices, schools and colleges.
10. Government schemes, budget and policies should be gender sensitised.
11. Women should get ownership rights over natural resources.
12. Implementation of the Gramdani Act, 1964 passed by the Government with appropriate changes
13. Opening of all women police stations in each city, block and town
14. Immediate stopping of prodigal wastage of public money on administration and implementation of the useful recommendations of various reports on the governance and administrative reforms
15. Adoption of sustainable and effective strategy to counter recurring drought
16. Evolve effective mechanism to stop sexual harassment of women at work places.
17. Evolve mechanism to recognise and pay for women’s unpaid contribution to the house
18. Provide safe drinking water to each village.
19. Provide free bus and railway passes to girl students to attend schools or colleges, far off from their homes.
20. Women should be given 50 per cent reservation in higher up decision-making positions in private as well as public corporate sector.
21. Undertake review of the privatisation policy and ensure social security, food security and livelihood security for the masses.

WE COMMIT TO:

1. The various issues raised by the Feminist movement in the last three decades will be taken up and implemented by the party when it comes to power.
2. Strive to address the problems of rural women, urban women, and working women, disabled women, senior citizens, children, home makers and domestic workers.
3. Work for the development of all marginalised and weaker sections of the society such as Dalits, Adivasis and rural as well as urban poor.
4. Contesting and winning elections will not be our sole aim, but we will strive for the empowerment of women and other marginalised population in every sphere of life continuously.

WE APPEAL:
- To all the women such as working women, urban and rural women, to join the party to turn the wheels of history and to make it Herstory.
- To all the women who aspire to contest in the forthcoming election and those who have contested in the past to join the party.
- Finally, to all the men of this great nation, to support our women’s party, encourage and facilitate their mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and friends to join the party to enrich Indian democracy and to make India a truly developed nation in the near future. Remember, if given an opportunity, women will manage the administration as spend thriftily, effectively and meticulously as they manage your home, and avert the prodigal ways in which the present politicians manage your country.
- For several years, you have tried different political parties and what have you got. “Don’t you think we deserve a chance?”

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

1. Become conscious of your rights and refuse to bow down
2. Believe in yourself and establish your identity
3. Don’t allow yourself to be exploited at your work place and stand by your fellow women employees in their crisis
4. Vote for WPI or candidates supported by WPI
5. Donate whatever you can for the party
6. Join the party
7. Encourage others to join the party and propagate its message
8. Become an active member of the party

PARTY PROFILE:

NAME OF THE PARTY:
WOMANIST PARTY OF INDIA (English)
BHARTIYA STREEWADI PARTY (Marathi)

EMBLEM :
Hands with Bangles

FLAG:
Hands with Bangles in WHITE colour at the centre on background of PURPLE colour

Read more!

More then 1250 ‘dance bars’ and ‘ladies service bars’ have come into existence since 1965 to date in Maharashtra. While the ‘dance bar’ phenomena emerged in 1977. Their number touched thousands after 1990. It has grown significantly in the last decade. Now there are approximately 800 of such bars or hotels in and around Mumbai city alone. The phenomenon is spreading rapidly in the adjacent suburb cities such as New Bombay, Panvel, Thane, Khopoli, Bhivandi, Dombivli, Shahapur. At the same time such places are mushrooming all along the highways throughout Maharashtra and even in and around other cities such as Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nagapur and small cities and towns within the state.
On 30th of March 2005 the state government of Maharashtra announced its decision to close down dance bars. Subsequently, the local police forcibly closed bars outside Mumbai city without any government order or notice. In July 2005, the bill banning the dance in the bars was passed unanimously by the state legislatures without any provision for rehabilitation of the bargirls.
This sudden and unilateral decision of the State Government of Maharashtra to close down ‘dance bars’ in the state is going to create a grave human crisis in the history of India. Though this decision was well applauded and endorsed by the white-collar middle class, it is about to deprive the source of livelihood for around seventy five thousand ‘bargirls’ (women workers in the bar) and three hundred thousand male bar workers directly. It is also going to affect large number of people indirectly.
Since last one year, we are in the process of unionising the bargirls. It involved study of the living and working conditions of the bargirls. Apart from the legal issues pertaining to them it led to the identification of the issues related to their caste, class, age composition, their marital status, traditions and their socio-economic and educational background.
During this process we visited more then 600 bars of different districts of the state, organised protests on different issues, conducted more the 50 meetings and two training programmes, enrolled more then 12000 members in the Union, documented more then 100 life stories.
Since the announcement of the decision, we are almost fighting a battle with the state on the issue of rehabilitation. It involved mobilisation of two mass rallies attended by more then 50000 bargirls and staging indefinite sit in which lasted for almost a month. Intense lobbying and networking was done to raise the issue at the national level by involving UPA Chairperson, NCW, NHRC, NCSCST and Indian Parliament. Alliance was build up with more then 50 women, social groups, and several influential personalities from different streams of the society. All this advocacy, lobbying and mobilisation work effectively delayed the promulgation of the ultimate order for more then four months.
The bill has allowed functioning of the ladies bars, which employ 10000 to 12000 of total 75000 bargirls. Hence, more then 60000 young women are about to become jobless in a single stroke. This number is apart from the 10000 girls who were working in the bars outside Mumbai city and who already have lost their source of livelihood with the illegal closure of their bars immediately after the announcement. Tracking the impact of this eviction on these girls show that most of them have entered into sex work for their survival and they have become far too vulnerable to trafficking. Many of them are getting arrested in the different towns of different states for engaging into commercial sex wok in the public places. Few of them have gone back to their native villages in UP and Rajstan and even there they are being harassed by the local police. Lack of education and any other skill have left majority of these girls with no other option then sex work to feed their families.
Contrary to the claims of the government this shows that the closure of bars will increase trafficking both within India and internationally. It is sad that instead of checking human trafficking, their action is going to increase it enormously and on international scale. The ban on dance in the bars cannot be anti trafficking measure, as it is going to have exactly opposite impact. Thousands of girls will have no alternative then to accept proposals for performing in the Gulf countries, where they are usually duped and forced into prostitution. This suggests what will happen to large number of girls after the complete closure of bars. Suddenly depriving such huge number of women of their livelihood source without proper rehabilitation is going to force them into prostitution en mass.
This situation needs urgent humanitarian response from NGOs and the concerned individuals on a scale of any natural disaster where large number of people gets displaced. Mapping and tracking of the displacement is required to design appropriate assistance and rehabilitation strategy. There is a need to address issues that have the potential to decrease the vulnerability of the displaced girls vis-à-vis the criminal networks, police harassments. There is a need to evolve supportive structure at the local level for the girls scattered all over the country. Special efforts needed for continuance of education of the children and especially girl children of the evicted bargirls. This displacement is going to increase health risks for the victims and it required adequate attention.

-VARSHA KALE
(President, Bhartiya Bargirls Union)
Cell no.: 919870429972

“We founded our Party on the death anniversary of the first woman prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi. We have obtained recognition on the day exactly 44 years after the world’s first woman Prime Minister was elected. This confers certain responsibilities on us. We should vow to achieve our goal of securing fifty percent seats in all assemblies and parliament and establishing first all women ministries in the States and Central Government in India. We should encourage and inspire women all over the world to establish autonomous women political parties in their respective countries. If we are able to set a process of ‘womanisation of politics’ globally, I am sure that it will bring peace and prosperity in this world of war and terror.”
- VARSHA KALE

LET US TURN HISTORY INTO HERSTORY!
Dear friends,
Time has come to turn history into Herstory and Herstory is being written in India with the launching of the first ever all women political party, the Womanist Party of India (WPI). A new PURPLE colour is all set to beautify the political horizon of the largest democracy in the world.

We, the women from Maharashtra, one of the leading states of India, have formed our own party with the aim of getting a foothold in the hitherto male bastion-politics. As in childbirth, the inception of women’s party will also involve pain, labour and risk. However, being women, we have decided to take on this challenge for the sake of the whole of society and humanity.

We have decided to contest the forthcoming parliamentary and state legislative elections on our own strength and field our candidates in each constituency within Maharashtra. Even before the formal declaration of the party, we have developed a strong support base in some parts of rural Maharashtra. After the formal declaration, we have received a massive response from the women for our membership recruitment drive, which has been launched on the first of November 2003. We have set a target of registering five hundred thousand members within a year in Maharashtra alone. The state-wide party convention will be organised in April 2004 to decide about the long-term programme and policies of the party in a participatory manner.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
When we took this decision, we were not aware of some of the recent world-wide developments in women’s movement, as most of us belong to farming caste background and not exactly a part of elite women’s liberation groups. However, now we can see, what we were doing, was not an isolated phenomenon but was in tune with the trend that has been taking shape since the late nineties, all over the world. In countries such as Belarus, Australia, Greece, Russia, Philippines and Cambodia, women either have attempted or have formed separate political parties to contest elections. In several countries, NGOs and women’s groups are championing for increasing women’s participation in electoral politics and educating women voters. These bold initiatives are commendable and need strengthening. They showcase, not only a growing realisation about the need of a separate women’s party amongst women world over, but also the emergence of women as a new political entity. Womanist Party of India (WPI) is the third autonomous women’s party in Asia and presumably within the first ten in the world. We commit ourselves to build alliances with these political initiatives taken up by women all over the world to forge international unity and solidarity of women.

NATIONAL CONTEXT
India is the largest and one of the vibrant democracies in the world. It has seen an eruption of different political identities and forces in the recent past. Indian society as a whole is in turmoil with the growing political aspirations of different social groups. A closer analysis of socio-political situation suggests that women are poised to emerge as a new claimant of greater political representation in the near future. This will have a far-reaching effect, not only on India polity, but also on the world.

RATIONALE BEHIND THE FORMATION OF THE PARTY
The decision to form an autonomous women’s political party, however, was not taken on the basis of mere ethical and humanitarian grounds, though they are quite strong. This decision was a natural outcome of realisation after years of frustration and disillusionment from the mainstream political parties in India. In all these years after independence, what women got was only rhetoric and unfulfilled promises. Women are now sick of the rhetoric and they do want action. They want it for themselves and for the society. They want to achieve true political equality. Existing political parties are not genuinely interested in and not capable of absorbing the growing aspirations of women in India. This can be seen from the way various parties play with the issue of women’s reservation in parliament and the way they treat women aspirants while allotting tickets for elections.

The present situation in India offers the opportunity for a large number of powerless rural women to enter active local governance at its basic level and become partners in the developmental process. For many years, rural politics has remained in the hands of few local influential persons or local politicians. Nevertheless, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment reserves one-third of the total seats for women in the local bodies. This makes it possible for women to contest the local elections and participate in the village Governance. In Maharashtra State itself, more than one hundred thousand women are elected as Gram Panchayat members and nearly ten thousand have become Sarpanch’s (head of the local body). This, of course, is a very new experience for women and it has increased their capacity to govern. Women’s participation in the local governance has started breaking the earlier norms of rural politics. Though very few women are actually taking part in the governance, many are shadowed by the proxy rule by their husband’s or other influential male member of the village or political party. Those women, who try to work for the cause, still have to face many obstacles, such as patriarchal set-up of the society, caste, traditional norms and customs and the lack of socio-economic-political strength to stand against strong opposition. The most important effect of this process is that a group of women with some degree of political experience and awareness has come into existence in almost every village. These women are capable and confident enough to form a separate political group at the local level, if they are provided with a platform such as an all women’s party. Women have very low levels of representation in parliament and state legislatures despite years of work by talented women in every party. Women who tried to enter politics were subject to popular ridicule in the past. Political parties routinely excluded women from decision-making positions, resisted nominating them as candidates, and denied their women candidates’ adequate campaign support. Many of these women believe their efforts are wasted and at best overlooked, no matter how talented they are or how hard they work. The growing frustration and desperation amongst women political workers of different political parties has even led to suicide attempts by sidelined aspirant women candidates.

The reservation for women at present is insufficient and we all know the kind of “games political parties play” in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) with the women’s reservation bill. We hope that our move will encourage them to pay more attention to women voters and pass the bill immediately. Further, the system of rotational reservation in local governing bodies has done more harm than good, not only for women, but also for men. Several women who have served capably are denied the tickets, once the constituencies are de-reserved, as if the open seats are reserved for men politicians. This practice had a demoralising effect on potential women candidates for the reserved seats.

Women voters have played a significant role in bringing different political parties to power at different times in the past. Aware of this, all parties are trying to mobilise women support, resulting in their increasing participation in political activities. Despite this, whenever women’s issues come to surface, such as passing of the women’s reservation bill or domestic violence bill, all political parties, including those who are having a large number of women in their rank and file, and those who are led by women, neglect women’s interests. This shows that mere participation is not sufficient and what is required is real representation of women constituency. All women political party is the only way women can get their views and interests taken on board in the hostile male-dominated world of politics.

In short, the situation in India provides appropriate productive ground for the formation of an autonomous political party. On the one hand, the growth of education, employment and rotational reservation of seats have contributed to the growth of political awareness and aspirations amongst large number of women. While on the other hand, the existing political parties are unable to satisfy the growing aspiration of women by providing them enough space and opportunity due to their women hostile culture, values and structure. Women’s participation and interest in the political activity has increased but not the real representation. Formation and strengthening of an autonomous women’s party is the only way to increase it.

FEMINISATION OF POLITICS
Politics of the New Age
Every age, bring with it, its own unique set of concepts and values. Sometimes, the virtues of one age turn into vices in some other period. The traits and tendencies, which are considered as qualities and strengths in one era, end up as weaknesses in another. The qualities of the men politician such as good oratory, dominating personality and competitiveness, are no more assets in the new kind of politics. On the contrary, soft, mild and co-operative type of personality, which a majority of women have, can be more effective in today’s politics. Most of the present problems are results of the mess created by the patriarchal dominated male politics. Womanist Party of India (WPI) will try to initiate the process of feminisation of Indian politics. It means, it will bring such new values, perspectives, methods, ways, attitudes, styles and spirit into politics that is more close to women’s nature. We believe women can offer alternate framework and culture to the established politics. The feminisation of the politics should not be seen as degradation. It is necessary to change the present political culture and structure to further strengthen and expand the base of democracy. It will be difficult to further and facilitate the development in future without giving women their due share of power. Women will only get into power if the political culture is feminised. As an all women political party, we are committed to change the political culture and make it more feminine and we believe that it will be the biggest asset of our party.

“POLITICS OF CARE”
Being women, we are committed to evolve an alternative perspective on governance. At present, the governments are careless about the majority of people they govern. Gone are the days, when government was supposed to be the ‘welfare state’. In this era of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation, the whole society is in turmoil and chaos. Majority of the people living in this era face extreme economic, and consequently, psychological insecurity. In the rural area, the process unleashed by globalisation, commercialisation and privatisation of the precious natural resources, has endangered the livelihood and food security of the marginalised population. In the cities, employment security is a thing of the past.

The psychological insecurity amongst the youth, make them an easy prey for macho and fanatic forces of different communities. Such fanatic forces, not only disrupt social harmony, but also make each section of the society insensitive towards the other and the ultimate victims of this mass and cross community fanaticism are women belonging to all sections of the society. Therefore, the government in this age of globalisation should be feminine, motherly, caring and sensitive, to be precise, “Womanist”.

The Womanist Party of India (WPI), not only wants to achieve political equality or transfer of power to women, but also develop and change the concept of governance. It will strive to usher the “politics of care”, where the government takes care of the weaker and marginalised sections of the society. It will be sensitive to the plight of the poor, downtrodden and exploited people. It will feel the sorrows of street children, miseries of deserted women, and horrors of communal frenzy and riots.

Give women the power, and they alone will be able to provide a model of governance, suitable for the present age. This age calls for an altogether different set of values and capacities for good governance and an efficient administration that women naturally possess. Our Party will bring the inherent womanly traits into governing of the country.

‘POLITICS OF SHARING’
You do not care about the people with whom you do not share. Women are known for sharing with others and initiate communication. Two-way communications between the state and the citizens is a necessity for efficient administration and development. Womanist Party of India will take effort to evoke participation of the common people in planning and administration. Opinions of the common people, and not just the experts, are important in the planning and development process. Being women, we do all our work at home, taking into account views of all the members of the family. Younger generation is always comfortable about sharing things with mothers than the father. Similarly, we are committed to create a congenial atmosphere, in which rural farmers, illiterates and women can speak out and the government gives importance to their views, as a crucial planning component. Women have a lot to share and say, but they cannot express themselves, due to the patriarchal, political and administrative structure. WPI commits itself to develop women friendly, people friendly, administrative culture and structure so that the common people can participate.

We will not withhold information and knowledge from the people. We are committed to give people the government of the new millennium and which will be suitable for the development of true knowledge and an informative society.

Even now, we are developing our Party Manifesto and Party Programme, in a participatory manner, involving different sections of the society. Everyone can join this process. This will set a precedent for other political parties in India and the process of feminisation of politics will begin.

PARTY PROGRAMME
The state-wide Party Convention will be organised in April 2004, where the delegates will collectively (in real terms) decide about the long-term programme and policies of the party. We want to evolve within the organisation a democratic and collective decision-making process to make the women’s party ‘a party with a difference” (again in real terms). The party will develop policies from women’s perspective, in areas including employment, social security, the environment, health, education and human rights.

Following are the provisional demands and they will become a part of Party Programme, only after their due ratification in the forthcoming convention of the party.

1. The present reservation should be properly protected for effective implementation of the PRI and it should be increased to 50 percent from the present 33 per cent.
2. A bill with a provision of 50 per cent reservation for women should be passed for the Lok Sabha and State Legislature.
3. Women’s name should be included in the 7/12 document (Land ownership Deed)
4. Immediate implementation of the Maharashtra State Women’s Policy (declared sometimes back).
5. Women should be provided with adequate micro credit through village co-operative societies.
6. Mechanism should be evolved to open district women’s co-operative banks in all the districts.
7. 50 percent positions be reserved for women in the board of directors of co-operative banks, state corporations, charitable trusts, government aided schools and colleges’ managing committees.
8. Women hawkers, vendors and self-employed women should be given 50 percent reservation in the identified hawker’s zones in Gram Panchayat (village council), Nagar Palika (Municipality) and Mahanagar Palika areas.
9. Women should be given 50 percent reservation in allotment of stalls, shops and canteens on contract basis, by railways, state transports and government offices, schools and colleges.
10. Government schemes, budget and policies should be gender sensitised.
11. Women should get ownership rights over natural resources.
12. Implementation of the Gramdani Act, 1964 passed by the Government with appropriate changes
13. Opening of all women police stations in each city, block and town
14. Immediate stopping of prodigal wastage of public money on administration and implementation of the useful recommendations of various reports on the governance and administrative reforms
15. Adoption of sustainable and effective strategy to counter recurring drought
16. Evolve effective mechanism to stop sexual harassment of women at work places.
17. Evolve mechanism to recognise and pay for women’s unpaid contribution to the house
18. Provide safe drinking water to each village.
19. Provide free bus and railway passes to girl students to attend schools or colleges, far off from their homes.
20. Women should be given 50 per cent reservation in higher up decision-making positions in private as well as public corporate sector.
21. Undertake review of the privatisation policy and ensure social security, food security and livelihood security for the masses.

WE COMMIT TO:

1. The various issues raised by the Feminist movement in the last three decades will be taken up and implemented by the party when it comes to power.
2. Strive to address the problems of rural women, urban women, and working women, disabled women, senior citizens, children, home makers and domestic workers.
3. Work for the development of all marginalised and weaker sections of the society such as Dalits, Adivasis and rural as well as urban poor.
4. Contesting and winning elections will not be our sole aim, but we will strive for the empowerment of women and other marginalised population in every sphere of life continuously.

WE APPEAL:
- To all the women such as working women, urban and rural women, to join the party to turn the wheels of history and to make it Herstory.
- To all the women who aspire to contest in the forthcoming election and those who have contested in the past to join the party.
- Finally, to all the men of this great nation, to support our women’s party, encourage and facilitate their mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and friends to join the party to enrich Indian democracy and to make India a truly developed nation in the near future. Remember, if given an opportunity, women will manage the administration as spend thriftily, effectively and meticulously as they manage your home, and avert the prodigal ways in which the present politicians manage your country.
- For several years, you have tried different political parties and what have you got. “Don’t you think we deserve a chance?”

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

1. Become conscious of your rights and refuse to bow down
2. Believe in yourself and establish your identity
3. Don’t allow yourself to be exploited at your work place and stand by your fellow women employees in their crisis
4. Vote for WPI or candidates supported by WPI
5. Donate whatever you can for the party
6. Join the party
7. Encourage others to join the party and propagate its message
8. Become an active member of the party

PARTY PROFILE:

NAME OF THE PARTY:
WOMANIST PARTY OF INDIA (English)
BHARTIYA STREEWADI PARTY (Marathi)

EMBLEM :
Hands with Bangles

FLAG:
Hands with Bangles in WHITE colour at the centre on background of PURPLE colour

Read more!