The number of female contestants for the posts of ward councillors in the upcoming February 1 elections to two Dhaka city corporations has decreased than the previous elections. Women leaders said that the situation occurred due to the present defective electoral system and mind-set about women as the political parties practically consider financial ability and muscle power for nominating or supporting a candidate.
They said that the women generally do not have huge money and muscle power. Eighteen women are contesting for the posts of councillors in two city corporations, having 129 posts of ward councillors, though the number was 23 in 2015 elections when the number of wards was 113.
Of the 18 candidates, the ruling Awami League extended support to only two female ward councillor candidates while main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party supported four females to contest in the polls. There are 75 words in Dhaka south city corporation where only 10 females are contesting while there are 54 wards in Dhaka north city corporation where eight candidates are vying for posts of ward councillors.
A total of 244 males are contesting for the posts of 54 ward councillors in DNCC while 315 males are contesting for the posts of 75 ward councillors in DSCC. No female is contesting in the mayoral posts of the cities while a total of 13 partisan mayoral candidates, all males, are contesting in the polls.
Ruling Awami League’s agriculture and cooperative secretary Faridun Nahar Laily said male candidates are not tolerating female contestants for ward councillors. As there is a system of reserve seat for female councillor candidates, most active female are showing their interest for the seat to avoid hassles in general ward.
Women rights activist Farida Akhter, also executive director of the Policy Research for Development Alternative, said that nowadays the general concept of the political parties is that the elections was for applying power and, due to a system of reserved seats for women, they think that they were extending support to women for those seats.
Besides, they think that money and musclemen were needed to win in the election and the women do not have these abilities, she said. Awami League gave support Aleya Sarowar for ward 31 in DNCC and Helen Akter for ward 45 in DSCC while BNP extended support to Shahida Morshed for ward 27 and Meherunnes for ward 38 in DSCC and Ferdousi Ahmed for ward 8 and Sajeda Ali for ward 36 in DNCC.
The first elections to Dhaka north and south cities were held on April 28, 2015 in nonpartisan manner. In that election, 12 females contested in 36 wards of DNCC and 11 females contested in 57 wards in DSCC. Later 18 wards — nine each— were inducted to both the city corporations.
The Representation of the People Order 1972 stipulates that all registered political parties have to increase the proportion of female representation in their committees to 33 per cent by 2020.