By

Prasad Gunawardene

The fact that throughout the whole world women know less about politics than men is true when we evaluate the statements, comments and performances of some of our women candidates in the current contest for next Monday’s general elections. Irrespective of gender equality, women are less likely to know about current affairs than men. Many say the reason for lack of knowledge in politics among women is the higher level of risk aversion and they are afraid of being proved wrong.

Having seen many women candidates on television during TV talks they always opt to say ‘don’t know’ as the response. Very few women take to politics in their early twenties while others enter the scene much later in their lives. In contrast men enter the political scene at an early age and steadily acquire political knowledge as they grow older. These facts are not meant to undermine women in politics in our country as it’s a common phenomenon seen around the world among women in politics.

International surveys and studies have revealed that age is also a factor in women’s interest in political affairs. Those studies have found that women acquire political knowledge much later in their lives than men, regardless of a country’s gender equality status. It is also revealed that politics had been recognized and identified as a man’s world thus, disconnecting the dominance of women in politics.

In the modern day politics of Sri Lanka, except for those who inherited politics at home, others who entered the political scene gaining popularity in other fields have proved as failures. Many of them are totally ignorant to early politics of the post-independence era and have never heard of the pioneers who helped the country to gain independence.

If they were to be asked who was the first Finance Minister, Speaker or the Agriculture Minister of the post- independence era, they will not be able to answer in a spontaneous manner.

Another feature that is witnessed in present day women or women candidates in politics is that; they seem to talk about themselves and their problems and not about social affairs or what they at least plan for the women folk in the country. Reading observations made by some woman candidates in the fray to our sister paper Mawbima on Sunday, it clearly establishes that fact. Following are some of them;

Geetha Kumarasinghe – “I can show my power in any part of Galle. Because I am also close to the beachside. This time I will go to Parliament to raise my voice for you. It’s better to go there and shout without doing it from here. Being close to beach, I can show my power there”.

Surely, the voters do not expect ‘beach women’ to go to Parliament to shout there or to show their might. Parliament is not meant to raise the voice to shout. Its a place where elected members raises issues of his or hers constituents to provide a better life for the people. The conduct or the caliber of those living close to beach has nothing to do with democracy.

Samanmali Sakalasuriya – “I think a ghost had omitted my name from the nomination list. No one takes responsibility for that omission. Everyone washes their hands off that issue. They undercut me. I will face those challenges with patience. The SLFP ill-treated my father and mother. The same fate befell me. Throat cutting was so sharp that I was deprived of nominations. The conspiracy against me worked in many ways. Those who saw me as a challenge omitted my name from the nomination list”.

Samanmali is an undergraduate from the Kelaniya University. She has made an emotion packed statement to attract sympathy. That demonstrates that women lack self-determination and courage to face challenges in politics. Her statement is an indictment on her own political party.

Hirunika Premachandra – “During the year I spent in the Rajapaksa regime I thought twice before I contested elections from it because the person who killed my father was in that fold. Everybody told me to get inside and launch the battle against that man who murdered my father. Having entered that political domain, I felt it was not the place for the right person”.

Here again, Hirunika being a law student had failed to make the correct judgment in her entry to politics. Like Samanmali, she had used the opportunity to make an emotion packed statement.

Politics is a tough game in any democracy. Challenges are many and the commitment should be large. Sympathy should emanate from the hearts of the people towards candidates and it should not be the other way. What we see from many of women candidates is that either they cry for sympathy or make emotional comments which have nothing to do with the needs of the society and the people.

Evaluating the performances of those women legislators and candidates in Sri Lankan politics over the past decade, I have only to ask myself the question; “I don’t know why, Megollo Mehema Wenne Eyi?”

Courtesy:Ceylon Today