Women’s participation in politics, as political representatives and as voters, has increased over the years. But women don’t necessarily have the power to make their own choices. This report by Supriya Sharma in Scroll.in finds that women in Haryana are voting on the instructions of their husband or son. Referring to the widespread use of sex determination tests in Haryana, Sharma notes that doctors blame women for sex-selective abortions even though the medical profession has actually capitalized on the social pressure for women to have boys. This gender inequality is internalized, and determines women’s decisions more than factors like education and economic class.
In Haryana, women are voting – but not exercising free choice
Sandhya Srinivasan
