What they want: Women voters pitch for jobs, gender equality in Hyd’bad

Hyderabad: Women voters are set to decide the electoral outcome in the upcoming elections, as in the 2019 general elections and also in the 2023 assembly elections the female voter turnout was higher in Telangana. But the women voters of Hyderabad are expecting the next government to bring in far-sighted policy changes for promoting gender equality, and in controlling the runaway inflation.

To know the ground reality, The Hans India interacted with women across all walks of life and came to analysis that women voters are now making conscious choices when voting, as they are well aware of the broken promises made by leaders in the past. Homemakers, especially, are not happy with the policymakers, as they feel that they are always neglected in all the government schemes. During the 2019 general elections, around 62 per cent of women voters cast their votes and in the recent assembly elections, nearly 71 per cent of women exercised their franchise.

Anitha B, a homemaker and a resident of Secunderabad Assembly constituency, said, “Politicians are there to make all false promises. During election season, they make several promises which will never be fulfilled. The prices of gas cylinders and daily commodities have risen tremendously, and this is putting a great financial burden on middle-class people. This election, I will choose an individual based on their record of fulfilling promises.”

Gontla Sundara Lakshmi, a senior legal manager, said, “We all talk about gender equality but looking at the current situation, I see that there is a need for women in policymaking. Once women representatives are in politics in greater numbers, women-related issues can be identified. Also, gender bias should be eliminated completely. For instance, if women go on maternity leave and when they come back to their workplace, they are treated very differently. I have personally experienced this. I will keep all these aspects in mind when I vote.”

Pratibha Bharathi, an entrepreneur, said, “As we have seen, the government is focusing on startups and entrepreneurs, but should focus more on providing support once the startup gets stabilised, as we need help in gaining networks and connections in order to survive and thrive in the market. We have many networking sessions going on, but their purpose is not fulfilled. We also need timely guidance from the government during the incubation period.”

Navanitha Valluri, a postgraduate from Osmania University, said, “What I feel is that both the ruling and opposition parties never bother for development of women, be it in the education sector, health sector or in other areas. Only false promises are made every time, and they never materialise. This time, I plan not to vote for parties offering freebies. Instead, I will cast my vote for the right candidate who can assure that they will provide us with all types of facilities across education, employment and health.”