Come 16 October, the date of the second phase of polling, Bihar will witness women power in its seven polling stations in Gaya.

Gaya: Come 16 October — the date of the second phase of polling — Bihar will witness women power in seven of its polling stations in Gaya. Until now, it was a rare sight to have women election officers in the state. The glass ceiling is set to break.

For the first time in the state, the district administration will have seven polling stations in Gaya fully managed and administered by women staff — right from polling officials to security personnel.

District Magistrate, Gaya, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told Firstpost, “During elections, Bihar witnesses a curfew-like situation and there’s a fear psychosis among the voters, especially women. As a result, women were excluded from the poll process, unlike in other states where women act as polling officers. But, now to break this practice, we’ve decided to have seven polling stations where everything will be managed exclusively by women staff.”

“The Election Commission has not only given permission for this initiative, but has also appreciated it as a step towards empowering women. We’ve spoken with the Bihar police and central security forces to provide women constables and sub-inspectors to guard the booths,” added Agarwal.

The district administration has identified seven polling stations at Mahavir Inter College and Madhya Vidyalaya in Gaya town which will act as model polling stations with special facilities like a supply of drinking water, overhead sheds and seating arrangements for the voters. To encourage people to vote, the first-time voters will be felicitated with certificates.

Parul Priya, senior deputy collector and nodal officer of this initiative, said, “We’ve roped in 50 women from the education, banking, government and administration sectors for this project, and are providing them with proper training. This is a unique experiment conceived by the district magistrate. No doubt, it’s a tough job, but women have volunteered their services. They are even ready to go to highly-sensitive booths. Initially, we have assigned them to safe areas.”

Gaya is one of the highly sensitive districts of Bihar due to the active presence of the Naxals who have already given a poll boycott call.

“I’m a government employee at the e-Samadhan project and when I found out about this experiment, I volunteered my services,” said Monika (22).

Anand Rupanjali (44), acting principal of Murarpur Government School, said, “I was brought up and educated in Goa. I never saw such discrimination against women in the electoral process both in Goa and Madhya Pradesh (where I'm from), as I have seen in Bihar. This initiative will break this glass ceiling one day.”

A group of 50 enthusiastic women could be seen undergoing intensive training under the nodal officer at the District Collectorate and on the field, to understand the nuances of the polling process. They will function as presiding officers to poll assistants.

Nilofer Nahid (46), an Urdu teacher in a middle school in Gaya town said, “We’ve been motivated so well by the DM and nodal officer that we no longer have the fear and inhibition that we had earlier. Our husbands have also encouraged us for this new role.”

Another member, Priyanka Kumari (25), a Union Bank of India employee, enthusiastically remarked, “It’s a matter of great pride for us to be a part of the electoral process. All of a sudden we’ve become icons of women empowerment in the state.”

“This initiative has become an example of women empowerment in Bihar and in due course, more women will join the electoral process,” added Saira Bano (49), a government school teacher.

Shashi Prabha was quick to add, “Yeh shakti rupa nari kaho kahan kab haari hai? (when and where has the woman, an embodiment of power, ever lost?)"