Women voters posing for a photograph after exercising their right to vote in Delhi
As Delhi continues to top in cases of gender-based crimes, women in the national capital say their votes belong to those who work towards the issue’s mitigation.
Nisha, 23, a resident of Delhi’s Moti Bagh is voting for the second time. She is exercising her franchise aiming to see development and security of women living and working in Delhi.
“Some areas of Delhi are very dangerous for women. You can’t even see any cameras or street lights there. Many go about rash driving and harassing women. We are voting so that authorities stop all this,” she said adding,” areas like Najafgarh are more dangerous for women.”
She said roads in various areas are in a dilapidated condition. “We want to see some development also. We want those roads to be repaired,” said Nisha, who voted at Atal Aadarsh Vidhyalaya, School Moti Bagh, New Delhi.
Aparna Pantha, 50, said that she is voting to see better safety and security in Delhi.
“Since these elections are not the normal elections and we are electing a representative to the Parliament, we expect our issues to be resolved. Security for women is always our priority so that we can venture out safely,” she said.
In the early hours of voting, a large number of women voters were seen casting their votes across the national capital.
Priyanka Juneja, 36, resident of Tughlakabad said, complained of lack of management at the polling station. “We are voting on the basis of the growth of our country. But our expectations is more than that.”
“There are several issues in our constituency such as water scarcity. The taps are running dry and we have to rely on water tankers to fulfil the basic need in this scorching heat. However, the other issue is education system of the country. It should be improved as the key growth of the country is depended in this issue. Every student should get the appropriate and good quality of education,” Juneja said.
Tanya Nirwal, (30), dressed in her jogging attire, came straight from her morning walk, cast her vote at Greater Kailash – I.
She said that the main issue is the maintenance of the parks in the city.
“There is no greenery in the park, the swings and the other playing things for the children are broken. The benches of the parks are also not maintained in the locality,” she said.
Geared up to fight unemployment and growing inflation, Israth and Dilkash dressed in their traditional burqa held each other in camaraderie and a common cause. Their aim, to vote for change.
“I am a B.Ed graduate. My CTET examinations are tomorrow. I know I’ll ace it but at my age, I am still unemployed. It is not like I do not have a degree or I am not educated. I have the credentials to show for it but still I have not landed a job,” said Dilkash, 30.
She highlighted that even after studying so much, she finds it difficult to find a job. “I can proudly say today that I have voted for education, against rising inflation and unemployment,” she said, while standing under the Shamiana at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School model booth at Shastri Park.
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Similarly, decked up under the streamers above, marking the way to the polling stations, Ishrath highlighted the lack of employment for teachers in spite of multiple vacancies being left unfilled.
“When we look at multiple government schools and even colleges, there are no vacancies for us. There was a report that had said that many vacancies were still unfilled and it is worrisome for people like me who aspire to be teachers, but all I am is unemployed. There are many like us. Even when we applied for a position as contractual, ad hoc teachers, they said that there was no vacancy,” said the Political Science postgraduate.
However, not every woman voter was clear about how they would vote. The stigma to vote according to their family’s whims still remains an issue as channelised by Sangeeta Chauhan, 60.
“I do not have any issues as such that I have pledged my vote on. I have voted according to who my family votes. It does not concern me,” the homemaker said standing at the Government Boys Senior Secondary School at Shastri Park.
(With Inputs from Saurav Gupta and Kushan Niyogi)
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