Women have always managed to earn their places in the annals of history from pre-historic times. If at some place as a mother and daughter, then at another as a ruler. And the history of South Asian politics too has many such illustrious names to its lists.
From Prime Ministers to Presidents, no post has remained untouched by the genius female counterparts of menfolks. Chandrika Kumartunga, who ruled as Sri Lankan President for as long as 11 years, another Sri Lankan Sirimao Bhandarnaike, who was the first woman Prime Minister of any country in the world, Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Benazir Bhutto, and the most illustrious Indira Gandhi have all glorified various democratically elected posts of their respective countries at one point or the other in the post colonial history of South Asia.
Ironically, while Islamic countries like Iran and UAE are moving forward by protecting and promoting participation of women in both the private sector, public firms and legislature, in so called secular democracies like India, male politicians have most shrewdly moved against passing bills that would promote the reservation of parliamentary seats for women. That, unfortunately, is the ‘State’ of affairs for women; still fighting against prejudices, day in and day out...