Although participation of women and children in the French Revolution created a new era in history, no word has been incorporated about the rights of women in the human rights declaration (1773). Following the movement of womenfolk, "women's rights" was finally added in Article 17, which says that if women can be hanged to death, they should have the right to go to parliament. There were similar stories in other countries too.

The role of women in the liberation war is yet to be fully recognised in this country. Family law is still a weapon for repression of women. The tendency to forget about the rights of women by politically powerful people is still a sad truth. We all know how badly this tendency exists in Bangladesh.

The female population accounts for about half (48 to 49 per cent) of the total population across the world, as it does in Bangladesh. So mention has been made in the Bangladesh constitution about women's rights to participation in decision making for the development of the country, and their rights to socio-political, economic, and cultural advancement in the world. It would seem worthless to debate the issue now. But we are informed that there are debates on the matter on a regular basis in the political arena, within the ruling party, administration, society, state, judiciary, even in the courtrooms.

If we read the history of the women's rights movement (except the pre-medieval history), we would learn that the right of women to be elected was banned, limited, and became a matter of joke for the first time in France through the structured democratic law in 1773. (Liberal politicians made jokes by describing imaginary stories about elected women are sitting in parliament while pregnant. Source: August Bebel translated by Kanak Mukharjee in Kolkata, 1983).

Later on, abortion was banned in 1803, voting rights were cancelled in England by parliamentary reform act in 1832. During the workers' conference in 1857, the right of women to work was revoked and later on the right to be elected also. In her book titled "A Room of One's Own," Virginia World (1882-1941) says the history of creating obstacles to women's emancipation by men is more interesting than the stories of women's emancipation.

The obstacles to women's emancipation put up by men in that age have now transformed into another form. This can be seen in the continued existence of the patriarchal system and gender disparity. Women themselves could equally be accused of creating obstacles to women's emancipation. We should not have misguiding impressions that only men are creating obstacles to women's emancipation. In Bangladesh, obstacles to women's development are now being created by the patriarchal-conservative social, family and political structures of both men and women.

In the 21st century, the very presence of women in democratic political platform, parliament, institutions, and the administration is facing challenges from the patriarchal system. The prime minister and the opposition leader of Bangladesh are women by nature but their actions have been no different from the actions a man would have taken in their position. The issue of direct election to reserved seats for women in parliament did not receive due recognition when either of them were in power. This non-recognition was linked with the patriarchal structure and also with the political culture of the country.

The election to reserved seats, which will be represented by political and non-political representatives of the women's movement, should be through selection. But when it got involved with the interests of political parties, then there was a demand to revoke the selection and elect representatives to reserved seats through direct election. It became such an issue that election constituencies should be increased from 300 to 400.

Therefore, there should be 400 seats in parliament. If at least one-third (as per the UN convention) of 400 seats, or even better, half of total seats are reserved, representatives in those constituencies would be elected by all men and women voters during the general election. In this way women's seats should be reserved as the attitude towards women and the impressions about them in family, society, and political parties are conservative and backward, and this keeps women form being nominated and elected in open seats.

Anyway, the womenfolk in Bangladesh do not think that all avenues are closed. The same way that Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain, Leela Roy, Pritilata Owaddedar, Monoroma Basu, Ila Mitra, Ashalata Sen, Shamsunnahar Mahmud, Sufia Kamal organised movements to create new roads by breaking though the closed ones, today's womenfolk need to go in the same way to the court of the people.

The womenfolk have the constitutional right to participate in direct election to 300 seats. So they have to establish the political platform of women to secure their rights and to participate in direct election in those 300 seats. The political platform of women has to prepare a list of candidates through a countrywide campaign, nominate candidates, and raise election funds. This avenue has to be explored in order to break out from the existing closed roads.

A combined coalition, comprising women's movements, organisations, and individuals has to be formed with the target that a list of five competent local women will be prepared for every seat and all out cooperation will be extended for electing at least one representative from the list. Active and close relations with women voters have to be established and a work-plan to create awareness should be devised. Preparation should be taken right now for mobilising the support of the 50 percent female voters and of like-minded male voters too. Let us raise the slogan: Cast your votes for women candidates in direct election.

Maleka Begum is a women's leader, researcher, and part-time faculty member in Women Studies Department, Dhaka University.