Quota puts power in women

Tornalli village (Karnataka): While the debate on Women's Reservation Bill gets hotter, here is a case from a Karnataka village, of why a special quota can actually ignite the hidden leadership spark in women.

Watching Muniratnamma work on the sewing machine, you wouldn't guess she is the Panchayat president of seven villages. But she didn't know her own worth until that day in 2005 when villagers forced this shy tailor, then 20, to stand for elections for the reserved seat.

Her track record today - as her own woman and not a rubber stamp - speaks for itself. Her three brothers and her father keep away from her workplace.

"I tell them that Panchayat work is mine, house work is yours. You should not come to the office even if I face difficulty in my Panchayat work," she said.
A 10th standard pass Dalit woman, she earned the respect of her village for what she has done, and for not who she is.
"They are definitely not puppets, let's not generalise. I train women Panchayat members and I can tell you that 75 per cent do good work. How much they struggle," said P Shilpa, Panchayat trainer, Sugrama Federation.

But success didn't come easy for Muniratnamma, she too had to struggle. Nine months into her term, Muniratnamma's own colleagues in the Panchayat brought a no-confidence motion against her and took her to court. But villagers stood by her.
"It is not at all wrong in giving 33 per cent reservation because women work as hard as men," said Muniraju, a villager.

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Muniratnamma is all of 25, single woman and a Dalit. She had to fight against all these odds, mindsets and even a court case to stay where she is, and win people's hearts. But if it were not for that reserved seat in her village elections, this leader would have been just another small-time tailor.