The first woman legislator of Mizoram, K. Thansiami, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1984 on a Mizoram People’s Conference ticket. She beat veteran politician C. Silvera, who later became Union minister for health. She won by a convincing margin in Aizawl west constituency. The last Mizo woman legislator, Lalhlimpuii was elected as MLA in 1987 and was designated minister of state in the then Laldenga cabinet. Bypoll to the Hrangturzo seat, left vacant by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Lal Thanhawla had won the seat in addition to his traditional Serchhip seat in the november assembly polls last year. Lalawmpuii said, ‘the welfare of the people of her constituency would be her top priority and would pave a wider path for women’s empowerment’.

It is this lack of women representatives in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies and equally fewer numbers of women ministers in the Union and State cabinets which could clearly be corrected to a great extent by the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha at the earliest. To send a strong message on women empowerment just ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the central government is actively mulling the possibility of passing the Women’s Reservation Bill at the Parliament.

Rashmi Mizar

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