Include women's rights issues in election manifestos
Conscious women voters in the district have called on the political parties to clearly mention their stand on women's rights issues in the electoral manifestos for the upcoming general elections scheduled for December 18.
This time the women will exercise their franchise to elect lawmakers in all eight parliamentary constituencies here, as they are dominating the newly prepared voter lists with photographs in all 12 upazilas.
Despite their frustration of not getting substantial women contenders from political parties in the constituencies, they vowed to elect the right candidates in the election to ensure women empowerment.
Besides, the voters also want assurance of controlling the price hike of essentials, continuity of local development and resolution of the long-running woman issues by their votes.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 22,32,751 voters were enlisted in the voter lists in the district. Of the voters, a total of 10,61632 are males, while 11,71119 are females.
Although the women voters are substantial here, only two woman candidates have so far been found to contest the polls and they both are from Tangail-8 (Sakhipur and Basail upazilas) constituency.
Former deputy speaker Humayun Khan Panny's daughter Sonia Khan Panny is seeking a BNP-led four-party ticket, while Kahinoor Begum Khan, vice-president of Dhaka city unit of Mahila Awami League, likes to contest the polls on AL ticket in the constituency.
Talking to The Daily Star, Chand Jesmin, a teacher of Dhaka Imperial College and is a voter of Tangail-5 (Sadar) constituency, said she would come to her constituency during the election in order to cast her vote to an honest and progressive candidate.
“Before casting my vote, I will check the declarations of the political parties in their electoral manifestos about the woman issues,” she added.
Social worker Rubina Akter, a voter of Tangail-4 (Kalihati) constituency, told The Daily Star that she is looking for a competent candidate to cast her vote to ensure women empowerment in the area.
“The political parties will have to promise in their manifestos to work on woman issues, including women repression, women education, health and nutrition as well as their employment,” she added.
With election drawing nearer, mentionable activities of the woman organisations or non-government organisations (NGOs) are not seen in the district so far to make the voters conscious of their voting powers to elect right leaders.
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