‘Equality with a difference’ as a concept has travelled a long way, and governments are slowly adapting to women-friendly policies giving due concessions to their gender-defined roles. General elections, however, are still one area where gender blindness of governments becomes strikingly conspicuous.
A number of women employees who were deployed on election duties in the just-concluded Parliamentary polls had a harrowing time due to gender-insensitive policies of the authorities. While facilities at the polling stations were not women friendly, what caused more agony was the situation at the distribution, reception and counting (DRC) centres where the election material was deposited.
Most unsympathetic was how the women officers were dropped off on the roads post midnight with least concern paid to their safety and security.
