Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said on Saturday that women have to work three times as hard as men to secure their place in politics. She was addressing the Jat Mahila Shakti Sangam program organised at the Constitution Club in Jaipur on Saturday.
Speaking at the event, Raje highlighted the challenges women face in public life and emphasised the need for greater representation of women in politics. She said that although women have made significant progress over the years, they still have a long way to go to achieve equal participation.
During the programme, Jat Mahasabha President Raja Ram Meel praised Raje’s contribution to the Jat community, stating that she played a crucial role in safeguarding the Jat reservation in Rajasthan. He said that under her leadership, reservation benefits were also ensured for Jats of Dholpur and Bharatpur, a decision that proved to be a landmark.
Raje shared statistical data to underline the progress of women in India since independence. She said that at the time of independence, the literacy rate of women in the country was only 9 per cent, which has now increased to 65 per cent. She added that women constituted just 3 per cent of candidates contesting general elections in 1957, whereas today the figure has risen to 10 per cent.
Referring to women’s representation in Parliament, Raje said that there were only 22 women Members of Parliament in the first Lok Sabha, compared to 74 women MPs at present. Similarly, the number of women members in the Rajya Sabha has increased from 15 in 1952 to 42 today.
However, she stressed that this progress remains inadequate and that women’s representation should be equal to men's. The former Chief Minister cited the examples of President Draupadi Murmu and former President Pratibha Patil, stating that their journeys prove that education to the key to success.
She also acknowledged the contributions of prominent women leaders and achievers, including Kamala Beniwal, Hema Malini, Sumitra Singh, Priyanka Chaudhary, Rita Chaudhary, and Shikha Meel. Sushila Barala, Padma Shri awardee Krishna Poonia, Kamala Kanswa, and Divya Maderna. MLA Shikha Meel, former MLA Krishna Poonia, and former judge Rajendra Chaudhary also addressed the gathering and shared their views on women's empowerment and political participation.