Dhaka – Women community leaders on Monday expressed their deep concern over the security of women candidates and voters during the elections and demanded level playing field for them in polls.
They said the level playing field is always a much talked about the issue but it seems to them that it means only for some political parties.
The leaders also proposed for ensuring the security of the women voters in the hill districts and minority groups and demanded the deployment of law enforcers before and after the polls and Election Commission (EC) would play a catalyst role for ensuring security.
The proposals came at a view exchange meeting with the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at Election Bhaban in the capital.
The Commission invited at least 22 women leaders but only 13 were present at the meeting.
Rokeya Kabir, executive director Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha said, “Level playing field does not mean only for certain political parties. We want the change of this concept. The level playing field has to be ensured for all including women and men.”
“The level playing field is absent for women because women don’t get equal rights in security, movement, getting nominations from political parties. Women cannot vie in elections independently as they lack properties for the deprivation of equal inheritance,” he added.
She also lambasted the political parties that have proposed to the EC for not to make the 33 percent women representation as per Representation of the People Order (RPO) compulsory.
“Some political parties said that the 33 percent representation of women in the political parties is not necessary. Such statement is against the spirit of the Constitution. These political parties’ constitution is against the spirit of the Liberation War and the Constitution. EC should see it can take action including cancellation of their registration,” she observed.
Quoting EC Rokeya said EC has told them that they would check the constitution of the political parties.
Aroma Dutta, executive director of PRIP Trust the journalists, “There are some vulnerable spots like Garo Hills, Hill Tracts and minority areas which need special attention of the EC to avoid violence before and after the elections. In our observation, we have seen women could not go to the election centres to cast votes.”
She also underscored the media role from the beginning in a systematic way to oversee the total election mechanism. – Staff Reporter
