Forty-one year old Kanak Lata Haldar, a domestic help, claims she has not missed casting her vote in any elections. This is despite the fact that she has to travel around 110 km from Kolkata where she settled post marriage, over the past 25 years, to her hometown Raidighi near Sunderbans in West Bengal.

“There have been times when my employers have asked me what difference my vote makes to the entire process, mainly to stop me from taking leave. But I have not missed casting my vote because this is something I should do no matter what people say," Kanak told BusinessLine .

Kanak and many like her feel voting is their basic right and that their vote counts. It becomes a sort of identity for them, otherwise deprived and oppressed due to their financial situation.

No gender bias

A number of women BusinessLine spoke to confirmed that their voting decisions have been entirely theirs and there has been very little influence of husband or father. “We are usually never allowed to take any major decision at home without our spouses’ consent but this is one time when we take our own decision freely," says Tuli Mondal, who works as a domestic help.

In fact, 40-year old Monalisa Guha Niyogi Mondal, who owns a boutique in South Kolkata, says her political preferences differ starkly from that of her husband and it has been that way ever since they got married. Though family members may not directly influence choices, sometimes candidates do, says 28-year old Sonamoni Murmu, a teacher with a government school in Kolkata.

“Sometimes politicians come and make tall promises and my family feels pressurised,” says Murmu, who hails from West Midnapore.

While for women like Kanak and Tuli, voting gives a sense of empowerment, for most other women it is recognition of the fact that it is their prime responsibility as the citizen of the country.

“Being in a democracy it is my right to vote and if I do not exercise this option then I have no right to question the government about any of their decisions. We are privileged to get this opportunity to make a difference,” says Saswati Dasgupta, a legal studies teacher at Apeejay School, Kolkata. Though Saswati and many others like her favour women empowerment, they do not base their voting decision on gender.

“If it is Lok Sabha election then I go for the party but if it is local-level election then I decide based on what the candidate has done for development. I never decide based merely on the gender of the candidate,” says 55-year old Savitri Sekhar, who works for a private organisation.

Do women make better leaders? According to 68-year old Rajiv Menon, while most women claim equality, not many are willing to work hard to earn it. “Women tend to take advantage of their gender and most often do not commit themselves to the responsibility handed over to them. However, we should have more women getting actively involved in politics as it will bring fresh perspective,” he says.

When it comes to politics, gender cannot be the deciding factor, feels Antara Datta, who works for an NGO in South Kolkata.

“It may not be right to say women necessarily make good leaders; but if they are skilled and capable, then they might be able to usher in winds of change in the political landscape of India,” says Datta.

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