Delhi government’s recent move to allow free rides for women in the Public Transport System has received divergent views varying from E. Sreedharan, the Metro Man calling it an election gimmick and a populist measure to organisations like Jagori, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and many others welcoming the decision. On a personal level, I welcome this move of the government. Moreover, I’m suggesting a policy that could have important implications for women coming from the lower middle classes.
It is important to note that this move is based on the following premises:
(a) The mobility of women is restricted due to financial constraints (b) There are jobs available in the market (c) Our public transport system has enough space and reach to accommodate the influx of women. The premises (b) and (c) have already been dealt in most of the existing literature so I will deal with the first premise.
The first premise does hold ground in most of the cases; an important consideration is the time constraint imposed by the household chores and the arduous work associated with it. It is a well-researched fact that most of the working women have to bear a double burden of work and the right to leisure is seldom available to them. If this effort is reduced with the help of technology then the problem of time constraint can be solved to a great extent.
Subsidy In Home Appliances
The government can subsidise home appliances, especially those which will help in reducing the arduous effort involved in household chores. We can’t expect the profit-seeking private capitalist firms to do so.
Moreover, the subsidies should be given only if the purchase is made in the name of women. This will allow a sense of ownership which will have a huge implication at the psychological level, shattering the patriarchal notion of ownership imbibed in the society’s mindset through the ages. It will also increase the importance of women in the family and their involvement in decision making. A small step like providing subsidies in home appliances will have a huge impact on empowering women. The government can also partner with private firms which, in my opinion, would be more than happy to do so.
This approach will usher in a changing trend in policy making related to subsidies and women empowerment.