KOCHI: The storm over sexual harassment allegations against Congress leader Rahul Mamkootathil has also served to cast a harsh light on the limited space that women occupy in the party in Kerala.
Senior women leaders demanding his resignation as Palakkad MLA have been pilloried by party workers, further exposing the fragility of the female voice within the state unit.
Despite decades of talk of empowerment and reservation in local body elections, the party has failed to elevate women to leadership positions.
Representation remains minimal in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), the district committees and even the assembly. The party, which fielded only one woman candidate – Ramya Haridas in Alathur – in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, had to rely on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s Wayanad by-election victory to fend off criticism.
“Women are questioned and abused in the party. Young leaders remain silent over the fear of losing opportunities,” said Simi Rose Bell John, a former AICC member who was expelled from the party in 2024 for questioning the impropriety of senior leaders.
“When women raise questions, they are expelled. Women leaders have sought Rahul’s resignation. But no action has been taken.”
The backlash against the party’s sole woman MLA, Uma Thomas, who was targeted on social media for speaking out against Rahul, is a reminder of the uphill struggle.
“There is a power clique in the party that protects leaders who commit mistakes,” Simi alleged, adding that young women in the Youth Congress and the KSU are “sacrificing their principles” out of fear.
“It is challenging for women to create a space for themselves in any political party. This is more evident in the Congress, because of the rivalry between leaders. There are several groups within the party led by men. Women need to be part of these groups and be able to please the leaders to come up in the party. It is encouraging that despite the prevailing situation, women leaders have spoken up and demanded Rahul’s resignation,” said C S Chandrika, writer and activist.
There have also been instances when women leaders have had to leave the party after they were denied party tickets. Former MLA Shobhana George quit the party in 2016, accusing the Ramesh Chennithala and Oommen Chandy factions of failing to consider her for the assembly election. However, Shobana refused to comment on the matter when TNIE contacted her.
Soumini Jain, former mayor of Kochi, agrees that women struggle to break into administrative roles.
“This is not specific to the Congress. Bias exists everywhere. Even the general public doubts the capability of women. We need to fight harder to hold positions in politics,” Soumini said.
The former president of the Mahila Congress, Lathika Subhash, resigned from the party after being denied a ticket from Ettumanoor in the 2021 assembly election.
J Prabhash, a political commentator, said that no political party is adequately represented by women.
“We cannot blame the Congress. India is a patriarchal society; it reflects in politics and political parties, too. Women’s reservation can bring change, but we are unsure about its implementation,” he said.
Saritha Varma, another political commentator, said party machineries differ. “Congress follows top-down leadership, while in the left, it is bottom-up. Women who choose politics as a career have to grab the attention of top leaders in the Congress,” she emphasised.
Interestingly, the Congress points to its past to defend itself. Sudha Menon, an author close to the party, said, “Bindu Krishna was Kollam DCC president. Saraswathi Kunjukrishnan was KPCC general secretary in 1978 and Kollam DCC president. Now, we have two women KPCC general secretaries. Compared to other parties, the situation is better in Congress.”
But women leaders themselves admit that these examples are few and far in between. “The reality is that women are largely absent from district committees, from the assembly, and from the party’s decision-making core,” a leader said.