Grassroots workers or ‘proxies’? How Maharashtra women leaders have fared with quota in local bodies

While women's reservation bill has been introduced only now, Maharashtra's had local governance quota for women for 3 decades. It produced firebrand leaders, but gender bias still exists.

Visakha Raut, Sheetal Mhatre, Manda Mhatre, Kishori Pednekar | Credit: X/Facebook

Mumbai: Vishakha Raut, a strong voice from the erstwhile undivided Shiv Sena in Mumbai, had no political background when she started out as a corporator in 1992. Within five years, she rose to the position of mayor of Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. According to her, she was the first woman from her party to do so.

“When I became the mayor, I was scared to even speak in front of the stalwarts…I did not know anything and went from the kitchen to the corporation. But now I know the tricks of trade,” Raut told ThePrint. “Nobody taught us anything. We learnt by attending meetings and being on the road.” 

While the passage of the landmark women’s reservation bill in Parliament is being hailed as a big step towards women empowerment, Maharashtra had taken such a step as far back as in the 1990s. It is among the first few states to offer reservation to women in urban local governance — 33 percent in 1994 that was increased to 50 percent in 2011.

In fact, the BMC had a 30 percent quota back in 1990, according to the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation and Municipalities Act no XIII. Had it not been for a reserved seat, Vishakha Raut — now part of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) — may have taken way longer to find her way to electoral politics.

Not just Raut, Kishori Pednekar, Snehal Ambekar, Swapna Mhatre, Netra Shirke, Leena Garad and Madhuri Misal are some of the women corporators that have been often been in the limelight, mostly because of the issues they have raised.

Over the years, women councillors have raised several issues — from water meters to parking issues or repair of roads. Their presence makes a difference in that they can raise women-centric issues with sensitivity and better understanding, which can help shape better policies.

Women leaders that ThePrint spoke to pointed out that though the [state] quota has shaped some strong voices, those with no political background have a tough time climbing up the ladder and getting heard. There is little grooming from their parties and they learnt on the job, they added.

BJP leader from Navi Mumbai Manda Mhatre said that this is where the central Bill — which will ensure 33 percent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies — will make it easier for the younger lot. “I am old but this bill will help the younger women leaders realise their dreams and achieve their goals,” she told ThePrint.

Mhatre further said that it has been a long journey for her — from corporator to holding various posts in the corporation to now being an MLA for two consecutive terms.

“I had no godfather…Those who are from a political background can easily get opportunities. I worked in the NCP for 17-18 years but the BJP showed faith in me. Young women with a political background, such as Aditi Tatkare, Pankaja Munde, and Supriya Sule…these women became ministers, MPs, but women like us still have to struggle. So this reservation will help the younger generation,” she said.

Patriarchy is still prevalent, they say, and in some cases, women leaders are often seen as a rubber stamp for their aspirational husbands, sometimes also dictating the choice of the candidate on these reserved seats.

Experts ThePrint spoke to also feel that mere reservation has not changed the situation on ground. Anusuya Kale Chhabrani, president of the Swachh Association, a Nagpur-based NGO, said, “Most of the time, women are not allowed to voice their opinions freely. It is the party or their male relatives who guide them…check how many of these elected women representatives have taken policy decisions on their own…” 

Even Milind Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO that works on civic governance issues, said that giving reservation to women is just a short-term view of the larger issue of empowerment. “Empowerment and reservation do not go hand in hand. Empowerment will happen when there is grassroot participation and involvement.”

Women in Maharashtra politics

After the 73rd-74th Amendments of the Constitution in 1992 proposing a 33 percent quota for women in local bodies and panchayats, then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar introduced the same in local bodies across the state in 1994, most likely making it the first state to do so then.

In 2011, the then Prithviraj Chavan government increased that quota to 50 percent. As on date, 20 states have a 50 percent reservation for women in their local bodies. Maharashtra itself has been sending women to half the seats in its local bodies since the 2012 elections.

Over the years, women have been raising issues specific to their gender. In 2013, former BJP corporator Ritu Tawde brought in a proposal in BMC to remove lingerie mannequins displayed in front of shops. While nothing came of that, in 2019, the issue was once again tabled by Shiv Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre. In 2017, Mhatre had raised a notice of motion in the BMC, demanding menstrual leave for women.

BJP leader and a former corporator from Navi Mumbai, Netra Shirke, told ThePrint, “Some topics are about women that only women understand.”  

In 2016, as then standing committee chairperson as well as chairperson of the women and child committee in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Shirke had raised issues around domestic helps, the education of their children or investing for their daughters’ weddings. 

“As a mother, I know what my kid would need. And as a woman, I would know what the other woman wants…women know how to manage budgets, which came handy when I was the standing committee chairperson,” she said.

Shirke also worked around issues of sanitation and said that as a woman, it was easier to understand what happens if the garbage collector truck doesn’t come on time. She also worked on the ‘She-toilet concept’ — toilets built specifically for women.

“If Babasaheb Ambedkar gave us voting rights equally then who are others to not give us equal rights to contest,” she said.

Manda Mhatre, who worked as an NCP corporator in Navi Mumbai, said she worked on mahila self-help groups, and for having sanitary napkin vending machines in public toilets.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar told ThePrint, “When you get the opportunity to work, make the most of it. You will not find a watch on my wrist. I am available for my people anytime. But the administration not supporting corporators remains a challenge.” 

Nehal Shah, a first-term BJP councillor from Matunga in Mumbai, told ThePrint that gender bias still exists. “We all know that patriarchy still exists and there is this general perception that women are slightly inferior to men. This thought needs to change but till people know our capabilities, we have to prove ourselves,” she said.

Mhatre echoed how it is difficult for women with no political background to be heard, and for men to listen to them. “I have faced it many times. They either want someone from their family, otherwise following a woman’s order gets difficult for them.”

Anusuya Chhabrani of the Swachh Association agreed, adding that this isn’t confined to rural areas. “This is as much an urban problem. This is only tokenism at the time. Be it Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, most of them [women councillors] are proxies. Very few women have been able to voice their opinions and do exactly what they want. Unless women are given a free hand in policy and decision-making, I don’t think it is empowerment in the true sense of the word.” 

Role of parties

Most women leaders that ThePrint spoke to said they learnt by themselves, with little or no hand holding from their seniors.

Vishakha Raut, who comes from Shiv Sena, which is known for its strong women cadre, was no exception. She said that the All India Institute of Local Self Government, a government institute, did train them but “no matter how much theory you learn, practical knowledge is what you require. Unfortunately, none of the male corporators taught us. They were a bit insecure around us,” she added.

Her colleague Pednekar agreed. “I only have to say that [senior leaders should] look for the ground level karyakarti from the party [to give the ticket to]. Tickets are given to those women whose husbands want to contest but can’t, because of the quota…Those proxies don’t really have the knowledge…a party worker is attached to the grassroot and will be able to administer better,” she said.

Normally, every party has a women’s wing or a dedicated group. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena Mahila Aghadi has produced many firebrand leaders and is active in organising various events such as Haldi Kumkum, and competitions for women. Most of these women also hold protests protest on issues. 

In Shiv Sena (UBT), Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray is believed to be hand-holding the women of the party.

“Because of all of this, women’s confidence level goes up. By being in active politics, they understand the workings of a party, corporation, even if they have no prior knowledge,” said Shirke. 

(Edited by Smriti Sinha)