Women have to work 3 times harder than men in politics: Raje

Jaipur: Former CM Vasundhara Raje Saturday said that women have to put in far greater efforts than men to establish themselves in politics. "Women have to work three times harder than men to get recognition and space in politics," she said, while addressing the National Jat Women's Conference in Jaipur. The event was attended by members of Jat community and political representatives from multiple parties, including Congress and BJP, underlining the cross-party presence at the conference.
Highlighting gender disparity in public life, Raje remarked, "Despite progress, women are still not adequately represented. This number should be equal to that of men." She noted that women's literacy rate in India rose from 9% at the time of Independence to about 65% today. "In 1957, only 3% of candidates contesting elections were women; today the figure is close to 10%," she said.Referring to parliamentary representation, Raje said, "There were only 22 women MPs in the first Lok Sabha; today there are 74. In Rajya Sabha, the number increased from 15 in 1952 to 42, but this is still not enough."Speaking at the conference, Raje reflected on her long association with the Jat Mahasabha. "My relationship with the Jat Mahasabha saw both sweet and sour phases," she said. "The contribution of Jat women to the state's development, society and politics deserves greater recognition."
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