The participation of women in the country’s politics is increasing day by day, but the target of 33 per cent posts for women in the political parties has not been fulfilled till now.
Not a single registered political party could induct at least 33 per cent woman members into committees at national and grassroots levels. However, the Election Commission (EC) has not taken any initiative in this regard till now although the deadline ended more than four months ago.
Meanwhile, the political parties want an extension of timeframe for implementing the provision of the Representation of the People’s Order (RPO), 1972. Section 90 (B) of the RPO provides for ensuring mandatory 33 per cent women’s representation in all committees of the political parties by 2020.
Against this backdrop, the EC is now planning to relax the stipulated time. Sources said that the commission wants to scrap the timeframe. However, some Election Commissioners are in favour of extension of the deadline by 10 years to 2030.
Ashok Kumar Debnath, Additional Secretary of the EC Secretariat, said that the country is now passing through a pandemic situation due to Covid-19. The regular activities are now being hampered for the situation. The EC would take decisions in this regard as soon as possible, he added.
Some women leaders and activists working on the woman issue said that the EC should take initiative to implement the 33 per cent representation of women in the political parties. If required, the EC may extend the timeframe.
Talking to Bangladesh Post on Saturday, Shahana Kabir, a leader of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said that the provision was incorporated in response to a long movement. It should not be scrapped. “We need more women in power and politics to understand and raise important issues that women face. So the RPO’s provision of women representation in the political parties should be implemented strictly,” she said.
However, political leaders and analysts opined that it is difficult to ensure 33 per cent women’s representation within some years. It will be difficult even for the major political parties, including the ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party.
Talking to Bangladesh Post on Saturday, Secretary General of Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP), said that no party, including Bangladesh NAP, has yet met the EC’s directive to induct 33 percent women. He argued that women do not come forward to join politics. He said that the Election Commission had taken opinions from political parties over women representation. It seems that the EC has the plan to relax the stipulated time, he added.
This target of woman members was set in 2008 by amending the RPO, and failure to meet this means the EC can cancel registration of a party. The EC had sent letters to all the registered parties, reminding them of their obligation and asking them to inform it of their progress.
In their replies, most of the political parties demanded extension of the timeframe, as women are yet to be interested in active politics. The ruling Awami League had requested the EC to extend the deadline by five more years.
Although the deadline ended on December 31 in 2020, representation of women is hardly seen in the central and grassroots committees of the political parties.
The Awami League has some 13.86 percent women in its central committee, including its president, two presidium members and seven different secretaries. On the other hand, BNP has 11.15 percent as only 56 women are in their 502-member central committee. The other parties also failed to fulfil the target.
Four registered political parties claimed that they ensured one-third women’s representation in their central committees. The parties are National Awami Party, Gono Front, Khelafat Majlis and Zaker Party. According to their claim, the 33 per cent posts for women have not been fulfilled in other committees, including at the grassroots level.
However, the women are rarely seen in activities of the parties. It seems that the four parties have met the condition on paper, but in reality they are far behind. Political analysts opined the same.
Meanwhile, the EC had prepared a draft of the ‘Political Party Registration Act’ and sent it to the law ministry. Major political parties are against a separate law and they called for suspending the draft. The Law Ministry, however, sent back the draft. An official of the Election Commission said that the commission is now planning to leave the responsibilities to the political parties.