A new course seeks to train women to become effective politicians, something most of Parliament could learn
Despite female empowerment reaching hitherto unparalleled levels, including the serious consideration of the Women?s Reservation Bill, female representation in Parliament remains woefully low. According to the Millennium Development Goals Report 2012 by the United Nations, representation of women in Parliament has more or less been stagnant over the last two decades?currently, we have only 60 MPs among the 544 Lok Sabha seats and 26 among the 241 Rajya Sabha seats. Of course, hastening the passage of the Women?s Reservation Bill will go a long way in rectifying this, but, in the mean time, there are other processes at work that could address this imbalance. The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B), in collaboration with Delhi-based Centre for Social Research, has started a three-month course that seeks to train women to become ?professional politicians?. The India-Women in Leadership programme, appropriately acronymed i-WIL, aims to ?strengthen the effectiveness of women leaders as they enter and progress in Indian democracy?. A noble aim, and one much needed, but can an academic programme really train people in what is really an eminently practicals-based field?
The IIM-B programme is sure giving it a shot, with what looks like a comprehensive, scientific approach to making a good politician. On the personal level, it seeks to teach candidates time management, effective communication, dealing with the media (all essential subjects even our seasoned politicians could hone up on), amongst others. At the larger level, it teaches political theory, economics, best international practices, and most importantly, programme implementation. This kind of training will go a long way in enabling women to break through what has widely been perceived as a glass ceiling, but the relevant question here is whether it might not be worth introducing the programme to the incumbent member of Parliament as well?
