Despite constituting the majority of voters in the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency, women express concern over political parties' apparent neglect of addressing their fundamental issues.
During the ongoing election campaign, women lamented the lack of focus on matters such as inadequate sanitary napkin disposal facilities and the absence of gynaecologists in hospitals. Speaking to PTI at Agatti Island, women highlighted the parties' minimal regard for their demands.
"We do not even have a mechanism on the islands to collect and dispose of used sanitary napkins. Many either bury them in their compounds or burn them," lamented Salmath, leader of the disabled persons' wing of Dweepsree, a women's self-help group.
She highlighted the potential environmental hazards and cautioned against plastic burning and dumping, particularly concerning the ecologically fragile islands.
Despite comprising 50% of the electorate, these women voice their demands amidst a political landscape largely controlled by men. Political parties prioritise other issues to secure votes, sidelining women's concerns.
Spanning the ten inhabited islands of the Lakshadweep Archipelago, this constituency boasts an electorate of 57,574, of which 28,442 are women voters, according to data from the Chief Election Officer of Lakshadweep.
With no women in leadership roles within political parties and the absence of a local governance system since the dissolution of the Panchayat administration, women seek integration of their concerns into political discourse and demand corresponding solutions.
"Nobody in politics speaks about the problems of women here. We have sent several petitions to get a replacement for the gynaecologist who has left the island. They discussed it when we brought up the issue, but no solution has been found yet," said Shaharumma, another voter from the island and a Dweepsree community resource person.
The medical support system, in general, and for women in particular, is very poor in the Lakshadweep Islands. Many pregnant women are now left with no medical support, they said.
"Even if we need to do an ultrasound scan, we need to get to Kavaratti. With the notorious connectivity issues, we do not get water transport tickets," said Salmath, who is a resident of Agatti Island.
The girl children of the islands also face similar issues when they want to study further. Only one island offers a degree course, and if they want to pursue any other subject, they will have to depend on Kerala.
Follow us
