Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process – a perspective
description
Transcript of Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process – a perspective
Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process
– a perspective
Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process
– a perspective
Akshay RoutDirector General
Election Commission of [email protected]
Democracy and ParticipationDemocracy and Participation
Democracy seeks to address socio-economic challenges, issues of livelihood, social justice and freedom through the instrument of representation.
People’s participation in decision making or direct stake-holding is the underpinning idea.
Election is starting point of democracy, if not the same as democracy
Need for active Participation to rule out any silent threat to democracy.
Global SceneGlobal Scene
Consistent decline in participation, more
consistently in recent years
1945-1975 – average turnout about 77%
1976-1990 – 74.8%
1990-2006 – 69.7%
India – 55-60%
Outlook - ConcernsOutlook - Concerns
Situation suggests a democracy deficit- Representatives increasingly represent smaller majorities – with participation declining and contestants increasing
Weakening of stake holding in governance through lower participation
Democracy might suffer slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment
Challenge is: How to engage the excluded, the disaffected, the alienated
People must know their identity as voters and voters must know importance of voting
The Broad and the Narrow FocusThe Broad and the Narrow Focus
Education in universal role of creating ability and raising individual’s capacity to participate, remove pathological conditions that induce non-participation
Civic Education – larger and long term Electoral education- ongoing process,
needs more lead time for practice and implementation
Voter education – election time, pre-election time
Systematic Voters‘ Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP)Systematic Voters‘ Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP)
• Social agenda of Commission
• Development approach combines with
enforcement
• Gives election management its soul
• Information + motivation + facilitation =
Participation
• Implemented in 23 General Elections
(Jharkhand to Delhi) and 4 annual Revision of
Rolls
SVEEP - AimsSVEEP - Aims
To ensure that every eligible citizen is enrolled and to bring every enrolled elector to the polling booth voluntarily
Addressing:Gaps in Voter RegistrationLow and declining turnout in polling
Informed, ethical and inducement free voting Continuous electoral democracy and civic
education
Institutional ArchitectureInstitutional Architecture
ECIChief Electoral Officer
District Election Officer/ (DMs /Collectors)
Electoral Registration Officer (Constituency)
Booth level Officer (polling station area)
• Division at ECI
• CEO to chair State Core Committee,
• Addl/Joint CEO SVEEP at State Hqs
• DEO/CEO(ZP) to chair District Core Committee
• SVEEP Nodal Officer in district for election
Situation Analysis: Situation Analysis:
Three major gaps:Gender GapUrban ApathyYouth disconnect
Inclusion (weaker sections and citizens in difficult conditions)
Identifying micro-level gapsPolling Stations with lower voter turnout
and reasons thereof identifiedIdentification of left out sections/groups
Targeted interventions
Process Achievements : Infrastructure
• National Framework• Major consultations• National Voters’ Day• District and State Plans for elections• Plans for Summary/Special revision• Financial resource/Budget made available• Training • Awareness Observers in elections
Process Achievements: partnerships
• Central Government Departments/organizations
• Educational Institutions
• Civil Society and Youth Organisations
• Government Media
• State Government Departments with community reach
• Engagement of Campus Ambassadors
• New access points like banks, post offices, hospitals etc
• Icons – national and regional
Formal PartnersFormal Partners
MoU with UNDP for various programmes including Voter education
MoU with National Literacy Mission Authority of India for electoral literacy in rural areas
Prominent media houses and CSOs at national and state levels. Framework of Engagement also for corporates.
SVEEP Summary Scores
• Ownership
• Institutionalization
• Established partnerships
• Momentum and sustainability
• Turnout and registration figures
Participation SurgeParticipation Surge
2009-2013
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2009-11)
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2009-11)
75.7
2
45.8
5 57.0
3
72.3
8
70.8
2
85.4
1
81.6
7
76.0
5
52.6
5
56.9
6
74.9
2
78.0
1 85.5
2
84.4
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Assam Bihar Jharkhand Kerala Tamil NaduPuducherry WestBengal
Previous AE
Latest AE
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2012)
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2012)
70.0
5
59.7
7 71.6
1
75.0
2
63.9
6
45.9
6
81.7372.02 73.51
78.57
67.2259.4
0102030405060708090
Goa Gujarat HimachalPradesh
Punjab Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh
AE 2007
AE 2012
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2013)
Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2013)
70.5
1
64.6
8 69.2
8
80.0
2 86.1
9
66.4
9
91.2
2
57.5
8
77
71.4
5
72.5
2
81.2
9
90.5
7
75.2
91.8
2
65.1
3
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95AE 2008
AE 2013
Women’s CaseWomen’s Case
FactsFacts
National Gender Ratio – 933*
Rural – 946*
Urban – 900*
This adverse gender ratio is reflected further
in registration: under-enrolment of women;
In voting, the gap is widened further with the
lesser percentage of women turning up.* Census 2011
Women participation in Lok Sabha Elections
Women participation in Lok Sabha Elections
Female focus by ECIFemale focus by ECI
Gender gap in Electoral Roll is specifically
monitored and all demand and supply side
measures are being taken.
Women specific education tools are being
developed
Women specific communication tools are
used
Female facilitation in polling stations
Female focused Interventions
Female focused Interventions
Partnership with National Rural literacy Mission
to spread electoral literacy among rural women
ECI Campus Ambassadors being appointed in
Colleges/Universities will be 50% or more from
among girls
Anganwadi , ASHA and other female field level
workers involved in big way.
Out of the four national Icons 2 are women
Outcome -1Outcome -1
Focus on women has yielded results and
16 of the last 23 Assembly elections since
late 2009, saw higher women turnout
percentage than men.
This includes the likes of Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have some
of the traditionally patriarchal societies.
Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2009-11)
Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2009-11)
Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2012)
Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2012)
Comparative Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2013)Comparative Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2013)
Outcome- IIOutcome- II
Turnout percentage of women rose
substantially over previous election
Uttar Pradesh - increase of 18%
Rajasthan - 10%,
Goa -14%
Uttarakhand, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and
Chhattisgarh - around 8-9% increase
Comparative increase in Male/Female turnout
Comparative increase in Male/Female turnout
Persisting Challenges(enrolment)
Persisting Challenges(enrolment)
Gender ratio on Rolls is lagging behind gender ratio in census by more than 10 points in 15 States
Of these gender gap is more than 50 points in 6 states
Gap between census and electoral roll gender ratio vary by more than 90 points in Uttar Pradesh
Challenges(turnout)
Challenges(turnout)
Gender gap in turnout in LS 2009 was more than 5% in 9 states viz Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh with Madhya Pradesh leading with a gap of more than 13%, J&K with 12% and Gujarat having a gap of around 9%
In Assembly Elections, the gender gap is minimised in most states post 2009
Expectations from ConsultationExpectations from Consultation
Identify ways by which the Ministries/ Departments/organisations
can partner with the Commission at national and at State level
Integrating women’s electoral participation/voters’ education
with various national programmes and outreach programmes of
the departments
Strengthen the collaboration with CSOs in the field of registration
also for voting especially at State and district level
Greater and sustained contribution from private media in the run
up to the Lok Sabha elections
Concrete commitment by Public Sector and Corporate Sector to
this participation agenda as part of their Corporate Social
Responsibility
thanks