Civic seats fail to empower

Saturday, 16 March 2013 07:52 administrator
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The Times of India                      16.03.2013

Civic seats fail to empower

NEW DELHI: The three municipal corporations in Delhi now have half of the seats reserved for women. The move to empower women got 156 councillors into the Houses in the 2012 elections against 90 women councillors in 2007. However, it turns out that increasing the number doesn't mean their male counterparts would accept them as equals.

During a heated discussion on the inauguration of a road under-bridge on January 21, a male councillor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation had threatened and thrown empty water bottles at women councillors in the front row to hush them. The women councillors complained to lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna and it was decided that 10 marshals would be deployed during meetings for their safety. However, nothing has been done so far.

The same corporations also have less than 20% women staff at the senior level while it has close to 60 such posts. Around 10-12 women head various departments, but there is only one woman additional commissioner in all three corporations. They comprise 35-40 % of the total workforce .

The erstwhile MCD was never headed by a woman. Now, all three mayors are women. But this is due to reservation.

New Delhi Municipal Council has a woman, Archna Arora, as its chairperson but there aren't many women directors. Of the 20 departments, women are heading just three while women comprise around 30% of the total workforce. 
Last Updated on Saturday, 16 March 2013 08:02