EC initiatives to maximise women participation in Jharkhand

The Election Commission is organising programmes across Jharkhand to ensure maximum participation of women electors in the Assembly elections. The drive is part of the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) to increase the voting percentage of women during the five-phase elections in Jharkhand to be held between November 30 and December 20.

The Pakur district administration on Thursday organised 'Mehendi' and Rangoli' functions where specific designs were sketched to make women aware of the importance of voting. "Such programmes will definitely inspire women to turn up in large numbers at booths," said Rekha Devi and Meena Devi, displaying such designs on their palms.

The poll body had on November 12 organised a workshop for 'Sakhi Mandals' and other womens groups to encourage greater participation of women in the electoral process, an EC press release said. At the workshop, 'Sakhi Mandals' were asked to conduct SVEEP campaign at every village and inform women voters about the facilities provided by the Election Commission for their convenience.

The EC has decided to have separate queues for women at each polling station. After every two male voters, a woman elector will be asked to exercise her franchise, the release said.

There will also be special facilities for elderly and differently abled voters at polling stations, it said. The EC had said that at least one polling station will be managed exclusively by women in every Assembly constituency. In such stations, all election staff, including security personnel, will be women.

So far, the BJP has named five women candidates in its list of 53 members, Congress four out of 24, Janata Dal (United) three and the AJSU party two. The JMM and the RJD have not yet fielded any woman candidate..

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