NAYANTARA SAHGAL’S OUTLOOK ON WOMEN LEADERS AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS
Mrs. MahimaGautam
Asstt. Prof. (English)
MATS University, Raipur
Email:
Mobile: 9826515608
Key Words: country, democracy, leaders, politics, women
Abstract:
Women are born leaders. But this is not widely accepted fact as we are living in a male-dominated society. Women’s active participation in politics is far less as compared to men. This is one of the challenges faced by women in the political set up of the country. The need of the hour is maximum participation of women as leaders in country’s politics. “Every country deserves to have the best possible leader and that means that women have to be given a chance to compete. If they are never allowed to compete in the electoral process then the countries are really robbing themselves of a great deal of talent.” Quoted by Madeleine K. Albright, Chairman of NDI (National Democratic Institute).It strongly recommends that equitable participation of women in politics and government is essential to building and sustaining democracy. Women as leaders in politics and participation in various activities should be the prior need of the country’s democracy. As one sees 50 percent of the world’s population, women continue to be under-represented as voters, political leaders and elected officials. Democracy cannot truly delivers for all of its citizens if half of the population remains under-represented in the political arena. There should be creative and wide- ranging programs in both challenging environments where democracy is just beginning to flourish and in more established democracies-engage women in legislatures, political parties as leaders, activists and informed citizens. There should be number of programs to create an environment where women leaders can advocate on matters of policy, run for political office, be elected, govern effectively, and participate actively in every stage of political life. The aim of the paper is to highlight that women should acquire the tools necessary to participate successfully in all aspects of the political process.
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NayantaraSahgal is one of the best novelists of Indo-Anglian Literature. She is the most promising and leading women writers of modern India. Her literary sensibility achieves a satisfying novelistic quality in producing socially and politically significant and relevant action. In some of her fiction, women emerged as leaders playing significant roles as well as suppressed not to participate in country’s politics. NayantaraSahgal’s career as novelist spans a period of over 30 years. In the novels of NayantaraSahgal politics is one of the central elements. She presents a comprehensive socio-political world view. Her novels share with it a formal concern for the fidelity of facts without compromising on its autonomy. A social novelist writes his or her fiction not in an antiquarian spirit but with a view to interpreting the interfaces of past and present as well as the ways in which our collective past impinges on our present. Admittedly, the novelist’s concerns are multifaceted and the political history of India does play a very important role. However, it must be accepted that political questions acquire full meaning only when they are studied in consonance with social issues. Therefore the women characters of NayantaraSahagl appear as a sensitive and critical observer but also as a keen political and social analyst. Her writings indicate the intensity of her feelings and the line of her thinking about some current political issues and developments. Her ideas and style of communication stand out prominently. Her fictional portrayal of the contemporary reality is delicate and suitable as it is artistically balanced and lucidly expressive.
Today women around the world face daunting social, economic and political challenges. Women should be truly representative in democratic governments and women must be equal partners in the process of democratic development. Women’s active participation as political is the way to openness and accountability in government. As activists, elected officials and constituents, their contributions are crucial to building a strong and vibrant society. There are end numbers of reasons to support women as leaders around the world. Women leaders are highly committed to promoting national and political policies that address the socio-economic and political challenges facing women, children and disadvantaged groups. They are effective in promoting honest government. Countries where women are supported as leaders and at the ballot box have a correspondingly low level of participation. They are strongly committed to peace building, as they often disproportionately suffer the consequences of armed conflict. Women leaders take reconstruction and reconciliation efforts more quickly which are more sustainable. By helping women leaders to participate as members of a democracy, one can look to mitigate conflicts or stop conflicts before they begin. They are strongly linked to positive developments in education, infrastructure and health standards at the local level.
NayantaraSahgal says that women have a profound positive democratic impact on communities, legislatures and the lives of citizens. She demands women must be trained, encouraged and empowered to become strong politicians, community leaders and activists. Therefore one should organize innovative and targeted programs across the globe to increase the number, effectiveness and popular support of women civic leaders, voters, candidates, political party representatives and elected leaders in the belief that as more women become politically involved, institutions will become more responsive to the needs of all citizens. There should be creative programs specifically tailored to women and such programs must have a dedicated component addressing women’s political participation-in legislature, political parties and civil society as leaders. Also there should be introduction of several global initiatives that aim to connect politically active women and help them network freely across time and place. NayantaraSahgal highlights in her novels women as leaders in linking women’s political participation with good democratic governance. To continue this tradition of excellence she seeks to expand impact of women leaders at the local and executive levels and working with men to promote women’s full participation in political life.
Women’s political participation in politics involves some measures need to be done. Through innovative programs that strengthen women’s political skills, how women are impacted by public policy and improve the perception of women in political life. Some organizations concerned with women as leaders in political sphere have demonstrated its commitment to making democracy deliver, even in challenging environments. Such organizations focus on training women and have strengthened to build women’s skills and organize women across ethnic and political lines, as well as create the opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds to solve problems in ways that contribute to the development and well-being of their societies. To reach the widest range of women leaders and activists, the organization uses a broad spectrum of inventive and inclusive strategies and techniques that are uniquely adapted to best fit the local, cultural and political contexts of the communities in which we work. NayantaraSahgal also supports and encourages women at various stages of engagement in the political process.
The organizations working with women to be as leaders have multifaceted approach to democracy and governance programming. In addition to working with women at the local level, they carry out a wide range of programming for women at the national level. One should also incorporate global initiatives into women’s political participation programs and trained the women on various political techniques so they could work more effectively in the political area. Training focused on message development, media management, techniques and negotiation in every sphere of political government.
The importance of including women leaders in peace negotiations, transitional governments and long-term political processes is critical to the stability of emerging democracies. In each stage of a country’s democratic transition, whether it is still entrenched in conflict or moving toward reconciliation, there are opportunities for women’s inclusion that will have a profound effect on determining a successful outcome. With this mind, some organizations created leadership fund, designed to promote women’s participation in peace negotiations, political transitions, democratic institutions and legal frameworks for reconciliation. Through this fund, the organization is continuously working with women as leaders in every stage and to increase women’s participation in transitional institutions by fostering dialogue with emerging transitional authorities regarding the importance of including women as negotiations, peace builders and in political institutions. To create an environment favorable to women’s political participation, one should explore priorities with the committee to develop a broad media campaign that includes the production of a documentary, TV and radio spots, and print ads to raise awareness of women leaders in the government. Because enhancing the capacity of women to represent their parties and serve the public as elected officials allows women to participate in and more effectively influence legislation and policy-making, the organizations have implemented a program to enhance the training available to women inside political parties.
After conducting an assessment to identify the challenges women activists in political parties face in competition for leadership positions, the various organizations facilitates for discussion at a regional conference followed by a workshop for core trainers to address those challenges. So everyone should support to deliver follow-up trainings and activists tailored to specific political needs and interests of political women leaders in their countries.
Women’s political participation as leaders is an interesting aspect of modern Indian writing. NayantaraSahgal’s growing reputation as a notable Indian English writer solidly rests on her numerous writings mostly occasioned by and concerned with, political and social changes in the country as women to be leaders. Her writings, suggestive measures and programs as well as various steps for successful women leaders to strengthen and support democracy indicate the intensity of NayantaraSahgal’s feelings and the line of her thinking about some current political issues and developments. Her style which is urbane and sophisticated, distinguishes her as a disciplined and professional writer. She strongly supports women to be as leaders in the democratic set-up of the country.
Works Cited:
1. Sahgal,Nayantara.Voice for Freedom.Delhi:Hind Pocket Books,1977.
2.Sahgal,Nayantara.Prison and Chocolate Cake.London:Victor Gollancz,1963.
3.Jain,Jasbir.NayantaraSahgal.NewDelhi:Arnold Heinemann,1978.
4.Sahgal,Nayantara.This Time of Fulfilement.Femina 7-20 May,1976.
5.Sahgal,Nayantara.Of Divorce and Hindu Women.The Hindustan Times,December12,1979.
6.VijayDutt and HarinderBaweja.NayantaraSahgal’s Brush withHistory,Probe,May 1986.
7.Naik,M.K.Dimensions of Indian English Literature.Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd.,1984.