This Article is From Dec 19, 2018

In Mizoram, Women Voters Outnumbered Men. But Not A Single Woman Minister

During the recent high voltage election season, what went unnoticed is that not a single woman candidate won in Mizoram

In Mizoram, Women Voters Outnumbered Men. But Not A Single Woman Minister

Ms Lalhlimpui Mizoram's first ever woman minister.

Aizawl:

58-year-old Lalhlimpui was Mizoram's first woman minister since it became a full-fledged state 31 years ago, under Laldenga.

In an interview to NDTV, Ms Lalhlimpui said, "When I took to politics, I was the only woman and till now not too many women have joined active politics. I think it's in the mind of the women here that they are still not ready to be involved much in active politics."

During the recent high voltage election season, what went unnoticed is that not a single woman candidate won in Mizoram, where female voters outnumbered the male.

In Mizoram, out of 209 candidates who contested in this election, only 16 were women and the state has had only had two women ministers in the last 31 years.

"First of all if we look at Mizoram, it's a male dominated society and even in the church they play a key role, so the role of women is more on social issues on how to make the society better, then try out in politics," said H Lalzuitluangi, political analyst from Aizawl.

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Role of women is more on social issues, said political analyst H Lalzuitluangi.

The new Mizoram assembly will be an all-male affair as none of the women candidates won. Moreover, it seems that there is not much encouragement for them to join the Mizo National Front (MNF), the party that won the polls without a single woman candidate.

A young female student, who voted for the first time, said, "In my opinion, it is because our culture since we follow patriarchy and even in our society, a men are ranked higher than women in general, In the countryside, women are still thought to be only fit to be housewives."

Another college student said, "Most Mizo people favour men. I think men are stronger and can take better decisions."

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