Lucknow: As India gears up for the highly anticipated 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which will be held between April 19 and June1, women voters — who account for 47.1 crores — prioritise their safety over development.

Alankrita Gautam, who is pursuing bachelors in law at Lucknow University, believes that women safety should be the top agenda of every political party.

“Safety of women is a priority for me. Crimes against women are on the rise across the country, especially Uttar Pradesh. I urge all political parties to place the issue on top of their agenda. While making a political decision and using our right to franchise, we should also take into account our safety and security,” she tells The Mooknayak.

Rakhi Singh, who is pursuing masters in pharmacy from a private university in lucknow, says it’s not easy to be a girl or woman in Uttar Pradesh.

She belongs to a village in Sitapur. According to her, women in both rural as well as urban areas fear for their security.

“Even in the capital city of Lucknow, we tread to walk through those paths in the evening or early morning that are properly lit,” she says. 

Ritu Kumari, who is doing masters in sociology from Kanpur University, is disappointed. “Safety concerns of women are raised in every election, but unfortunately, nothing changes,” she says.

With the enrollment of 85.3 lakh females as electorates for the first time, women voters are set to play a major role in deciding who will rule the country for the next five years. 

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress — the two major contenders in the country’s national politics — are leaving no stone unturned to woo this community.

The Congress has guaranteed a financial help of Rs 1 lakh per year to a female member of a poor family and 50 percent reservation to women in central government jobs.

“The women have received nothing during the last 10 years of the Narendra Modi government. Their problems have gotten worse due to rising prices, joblessness, security and safety,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told the crowd at Dhule in Maharashtra during his Bharat Jodo Nayay Yatra.

The grand old party also announced five assurances  — Adhikar Maitri, Shakti ka Samman, Aadhi Abadi-Pura Haq, Mahalaxmi and Savitribai Phule Hostels.

Under the ‘Mahalaxmi’ scheme, a woman from a low-income household will be given Rs 1 lakh as annual assistance, while the women would receive 50% share in new appointments in the Central government.

The Central government would double its monthly contribution to the salaries of Anganwadi, Asha and MidDay meal workers under the ‘Shakti ka Sammaan’.

Every panchayat shall designate a paralegal or legal assistant under the ‘Adhikaar Maitri’ program in order to inform women of their rights and offer the assistance they require.

In addition, the Center will double the number of working women’s hostels nationwide and construct at least one such hostel in each district headquarter across the country.

The BJP too has announced a few, which include loans to 15,000 women self-help groups, making 2 crore women ‘lakhpati didi’ (millionaire sisters), financial aid and training to women under PM Vishwakarma Yojna, help to women who put up their businesses on footpath under PM Svanidhi Yojana, free health check-up and treatment to Rs 5 lakh, cheap gas cylinders and a house under PM Awas Yojna.

The BJP is devising a plan to inform women’s self-help organizations about the government’s initiatives and programs. The party has recently organized the Shakti Vandan national workshop to develop a plan for interacting with NGOs and self-help groups.

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