thedesinews

In Short

• Shakti Abhiyan launched by Indira Fellowship for women's empowerment

• It demands 50 per cent representation of women in elected offices

• Rahul Gandhi urges women to reject symbolic positions

Calling for real empowerment of women, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said women should not just accept token positions but fight for the rights they deserve.

He said this while addressing a meeting here of the Congress's "Shakti Abhiyan", a movement launched by the Indira Fellowship for women's empowerment in the country.

Gandhi emphasised that the struggle in politics today is not just against political parties, but it is a broader "ideological battle".

"Our fight in politics today is not just for power, but also for representation, and they are two sides of the same coin, not as different as some people think", he said.

Gandhi urged women to reject symbolic positions and struggle for meaningful positions of influence.

"Women should understand that they should not just accept token amounts or positions, but fight for the rights they deserve", the former Congress chief said.

He lauded the bold efforts of Shakti Abhiyan, which is providing space for women to lead, organise and reshape the political discourse in their communities.

Gandhi emphasised the importance of collective action and inspired women to push the boundaries of what is possible in Indian politics.

He also said Shakti Abhiyan has the potential to become a powerful force for gender justice across the country.

Participants from 21 states, who were top performers in their respective fields and who committed themselves to tackling the deep challenges of patriarchy facing women at the grassroots level, participated in Friday's deliberations.

Run by the Indira Fellowship, Shakti Abhiyan is a national initiative aimed at ensuring equal representation of women in Indian politics.

The movement empowers high-performing women from rural and urban communities to contest elections, assume leadership roles and challenge entrenched patriarchal norms in local and national governance, the Congress said in a statement.

Active in 21 states, Shakti Abhiyan is based on the belief that political empowerment of women is essential to building a more inclusive and just society.

Over the past year, the Indira Fellowship has empowered hundreds of women leaders at the grassroots level, enhanced their leadership capabilities and prepared them to contest for positions in panchayats, municipalities and other governing bodies.

The demands of Shakti Abhiyan include "equal political representation" to ensure 50 per cent representation of women in elected offices at all levels.

It seeks financial and administrative support for women leaders, safety and dignity for women in public life and recognition of women's leadership in policy-making.

The participants in the session shared their on-the-ground experiences and discussed the challenges of social resistance, lack of resources and patriarchy in the political framework.

The Indira Fellowship team showcased its progress, showing how it has built women-centric political organisations from the ground level.

The national executive meeting of Shakti Abhiyan will continue for the next two days, in which future action strategies will be discussed to expand the movement and strengthen the political participation of women in India.