POBNEWS24, Dhaka Nov 6, 2021 :The number of women candidates from political parties for the post of chairman in the Union Parishad (UP) elections is still low. According to the Election Commission (EC), the number of women candidates in the 2003 non-party elections 18 years ago was 5.59 percent of the total candidates. And this time, only 2.9 percent women candidates have been nominated from the ruling Awami League in the first two rounds of this party symbol election.
It is being said on behalf of the party that more nominations are not being given as there are no qualified women candidates. On the other hand, on behalf of women, it is being said that although many controversial candidates from the party have been nominated, they are less interested in running as women usually do not indulge in corruption. This reality is depressing and unfavorable to women’s empowerment.
Although it is legally mandatory for registered parties to have at least 33 per cent women members in committees at all levels, including the Central Committee, by 2020, it has not yet been implemented. The signs that it will happen in the near future are not seen in this grassroots level election.
In this election, the ruling party Awami League is nominating its own candidate for the post of chairman in almost every UP. BNP is not fielding party candidates this time. The participation of other parties is very nominal. In this situation, in the second and third phase of this year’s UP election, an average of 2.6 percent women have been nominated by the Awami League. From this party, 48 women have been nominated for the post of one thousand 655 chairmen in two phases.
Out of the eight divisions, 12 were nominated in the highest Khulna division and one in Barisal, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions. There is no woman in the list of candidates for the third phase in Barisal division and for the second phase in Rangpur and Sylhet divisions.
In Dhaka division, six women were nominated in two stages. In the first and second steps of the category, three women were nominated each. 11 women were nominated in Chittagong division. One person was nominated in the second phase and 10 candidates in the third phase.
In Rajshahi, 9 women were nominated. Four got the boat symbol in the second step and five in the third step. Seven women have been nominated in Mymensingh division. Two of them were nominated in the second phase and five in the third phase.
Out of the eight divisions, 12 women have been nominated by Awami League in Khulna. Five of them were nominated in the second phase and seven in the third phase. Women got the lowest number of nominations in Barisal, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions. One woman is nominated in each of the three categories. In Barisal, one person was nominated in the second phase but no one was nominated in the third phase. In Rangpur and Sylhet, no woman was nominated in the second phase, but in the third phase, one woman was nominated in each of the two categories.
Earlier, the Awami League nominated seven women for the post of chairman in the first phase of 323 UP elections held in June and September. Six of them won. In that election, two women won by separate contests. Three of the individual female competitors were the closest competitors.
When asked, Kazi Zafar Ullah, a member of the Awami League’s Local Government Representative Nomination Board, told Kaler Kanth, ‘The social status of grassroots women is different from that of the Center. At the top, the way we work with women colleagues, accept women leadership, is not a reality at the grassroots. We are trying to eliminate this inequality. But it is very difficult.
Kazi Zafar Ullah said, “When selecting candidates, we look for candidates who are more likely to win. We don’t want anyone to lose by voting with the boat symbol. The number of women who will win by competing in UP is less. If a large number of eligible women come forward in the UP elections, we will welcome them if they want the nomination of Awami League.
Khushi Kabir, a woman leader and social activist, said that there are qualified women candidates in the UP elections
It is not going to be accepted. Girls are ahead in many fields including education. Many women do not want to be the chairman of their union councils because they do not indulge in corruption.
He said the country’s main party, the Awami League, has also nominated controversial people who do not believe in the party’s ideology in this year’s UP elections. But
In the case of women, it is unreasonable not to question their qualifications and not to nominate them.
