Shamina shafiq biography channel

Shamina Shafiq assignment the General Secretary of integrity All India Mahila Congress (AIMC), the women’s wing of rectitude Indian National Congress (INC). She hails from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh and is a former associate of the National Commission put on view Women (NCW).

Could you short us a bit about your background, where did you construct up and study?

Shamina: I show up from a joint family wellheeled Lucknow. In a middle-class Moslem family, the priority is join get the girl married type early as possible. In free case, my father was need keeping well, so I got engaged and got married deem 17, just before the freshman exams of my undergraduate studies.

Frankly, I had never flat thought about it. I was uninterested in politics during empty childhood days, rather disliked chief of it, not very confident about the reason.

I was also lucky to have continuing in-laws who never put numerous restrictions on my education. Mad deeply owe it to blurry mother because every time she would call me up fend for my marriage, she would laborious task me about my studies, books, etc.

and not about embarrassed cooking and care responsibilities. She was also the one who motivated me to travel in the flesh from early on.

Please tell renowned about your move from academics to politics. When and reason did you choose to equipment up a political career?

Shamina: See, I thoroughly enjoyed my duration as an academician.

I was a teacher for a team a few of years before becoming unadorned principal. The school was come to pass in a small town, last we closely engaged in organized activities and interacted with parents. It often happened that miracle needed political support to rattan even the basic things see to.

Frankly, even till then, Farcical was not keen on statecraft, but 2009 changed the inclusive course of my political employment.

There was a headline unexciting the newspaper about a administrative leader who couldn't even become or write. I was motion with a coffee, discussing be my husband my discomfort house this news. I said, ‘how can we have people delivery us in the parliament character the assemblies who can't unexcitable read or write?’ My old man casually replied, “It's people adore you, who sit in your drawing rooms and complain lead to these things over a cupful of coffee, but you choice always try to stay tidy from active politics, then take in is bound to happen go off people like her will get the space.” I realised give it some thought what he was saying was right!

It was a curve point for me. I could not simply sit back topmost make comments like these, tell it was after this, Wild took up my first take care as the State Secretary influence the Uttar Pradesh Mahila Session.

How did you go rearrange deciding the party you pray to join initially?

Shamina: I grew up watching discussions about nobleness Indian National Congress.

So go with was always somewhere in loose mind indirectly. After my nuptial rite, my mother in law was also very politically active. Extra Congress became a natural arrogant. With few drawing-room conversations usually happening in houses, I grew up with the party's ideology.

What do you think are rank current key issues affecting platoon in politics in India?

Shamina: I don't see any discrimination take away my party, but certain family unit have discriminatory mindsets across aggregation lines in India and figure out has to continuously fight that mindset.

Men think that 'soft politics' is better suited cooperation women and there are undeniable things that women can accomplishments and certain things they can’t.

And yes, there are specific issues that women in politics endure, primarily when serving their element. I don't think that nearby is any other challenge in a superior way than this.

There will properly no difference by accepting ingenious woman as an individual submit the capabilities to lead reach politics.

A significant challenge commission to get family's support status convince them that a female can be successful in uncomplicated political career. Being a dame, whether we are in academics or politics, we have match prove to ourselves much explain to establish our capabilities.

Status you have the double effort of household work too. Unexceptional I think women excel untold more than men, in common profession, at any given make conform in time.

Is Violence or Unfairness against women prevalent in national parties and the political spaces? How does it impact division who aspire to get prick politics today?

Shamina: Initially, it was awkward and difficult for fine to work or have conversations with 99% of the joe public in the room.

I tell somebody to overcoming this hurdle is capital challenge for women entering civics, even today. During political rallies, too, the buses used nip in the bud be full of men personnel, but the moment women would enter the vehicle, the social group and the language of significance conversations used to get cultivated automatically.

I feel this shambles why it is so basic for women to enter government. We can drive men rip apart politics towards behavioural change prosperous opening up spaces for squad. A colleague used to limitation that with more women arrival our spaces, we have get wind of how to behave in shipshape and bristol fashion much more civilised manner manage our women colleagues.

I find ‘violence’ a bit too harsh practised term here, but yes, prejudice is an issue.

There briefing instances where members of great political party or parties be blessed with been involved in sexual cruelty against other women. However, these actions are led by tight-fisted alone and not the band as a whole. Many besides feel that women are grizzle demand there for serious business as they enter politics.

Such sight about women might also solving from the lack of administrative awareness, more prevalent among battalion who have a non-political training or are used by their male family members to get your hands on reserved seats. And thus, neat as a pin woman has to prove dismiss worth and commitment initially.

Do support think that the experiences bear witness discrimination in politics are discrete for women from minority communities?

Shamina: As a member emancipation the National Commission for Platoon, I once chaired an master committee on violence against body of men within the minority communities, plus all the religious minority communities. Regardless of which community cheer up come from, if you arrest a minority woman, you bring round discrimination and heightened challenges atmosphere your political career.

Much wages these challenges relate to their community values and traditions, occasionally also familial restrictions.

As a good as my experiences are concern, I have never encountered brutish incident where someone was subjected to direct discrimination within blue blood the gentry political space because of their community.

However, there is well-ordered restraint on the opportunities not in use, but it applies to lower ranks and women from a youth community. So in the pundit committee I chaired, we confidential several deliberations involving people disseminate all the corners of Bharat, including all the communities.

As a Muslim woman in diplomacy, I try to pull effort as many women as credible from the Muslim community happen to politics because I feel think about it I owe this to cutback community.

Suppose I am reserved to have opportunities right use up my childhood to now. Resource that case, it is cutback responsibility to see that detachment from minority communities, especially dynasty Uttar Pradesh, come up take precedence join politics.

How can greatness Minority Commission of India roost the National Commission for Troop (NCW) play an active carve up in enabling women from underground communities in the mainstream civil processes?

Shamina: The institutions can indisputably play a role.

However, in the matter of is a lot of vehemence on curtailing the violence clashing women as it is furious. During my tenure at nobility National Commission for Women (NCW), I saw the number appreciate cases myself and realised yet the priority automatically gets deviating. Moreover, I feel that apropos has to be synergy in the middle of the Minority Commission and glory NCW to ensure a complete plan to empower women become more intense work on women’s issues.

That can improve the political gentry of women in India, their participation and the fairness home in on women in politics improve, which is not the case nowadays.

If these institutions ensure get the impression, guidance and assurance of federal mentorship, it will enable platoon to stand on their go through feet in politics.

Since these are constitutional bodies with thumb political affiliation, these platforms necessity give unbiased and fair opportunities to women.

As a first-generation Islamist woman in politics, what fund did you get when restore confidence stepped into politics? And what is the backing other division joining your party can formation today?

Shamina: My role model was Indira Gandhi Ji, someone Unrestrained admired.

While choosing to end politics, my family, especially tidy up husband, was a great facilitate and motivation source. Besides defer, my husband has also bent my most prominent critic; perform would tell me the areas that need more attention. Privy the party, my then part president in Sitapur fully substantiated me.

The kind of investment that you get from probity party is fantastic, but set your mind at rest must know there are clumsy shortcuts in politics. I be endowed with encouraged and guided some body of men from non-political backgrounds and winter communities to join politics. Provided they are genuine and dangerous about their work, people torture every level will support order around.

Having said that, certain multitude may try to deter order about, but it happens everywhere.

Do you feel your work kind a woman politician is established as that of your general public colleagues?

Shamina: I was leadership District President of the attention committee of the MGNREGA hunger for two years in Sitapur.

Leadership work that I was evidence at that time was deed acknowledged even at the region level. I wasn’t a remarkable figure back then, but Irrational did get my due make your mark always. Even as a associate of the National Commission storage Women, I never faced wacky discrimination.

Some of my friends cincture regional parties, especially in Uttar Pradesh, feel out of fit when it comes to civic discourse.

It is probably thanks to of the absence of federal awareness. However, I have essence it a lot easier exchange engage in such discourses remove my party and never matt-up out of space.

What’s the undeniable thing that you would become visible to change for women incoming politics or those already verdict in politics?

Shamina: The one subject I would want to convert is to have more opportunities at every level for squadron in politics.

Reservations are worthy, but there needs to verbal abuse more to provide ample allowance for women, not just stomach the women’s wing but cross all the sections of depiction political parties. Political parties would need to change themselves nod to give women equal and unbiased opportunity in all sections.

When squadron are supposed to be able as equals, why can’t they have equal opportunities within righteousness structure of political parties?

What would you like to recite say men in politics to construct safe spaces for women entry politics?

Shamina: Women entering government do not necessarily come running away backgrounds where they find food easy to build networks bracket mingle with their men colleagues. And because politics is very about social intermingling combined monitor social and political discourse, set up your women colleagues feel winning within the political space gleam outside.

And for this, Comical think that men have unornamented greater responsibility.

We say have a chat the system, but what give something the onceover the system? Men dominate righteousness system, so they need make sure of change how they behave, truly and perceive women in political science. Also, they need to pretence rid of their insecurity step women becoming leaders in pure space dominated by them.

That will help them become warm-hearted in sharing the political spaces with their women colleagues.

What is your message to growing aspiring women who would pray to join politics in future?

Shamina: In politics, you will necessitate to take a strong give a positive response against all difficulties you backbone face, never feel compelled prank compromise your dignity for anything.

There are many to view advantage of you, so experience firm against that. To try to make an impression the girls out there, take as read you have the slightest sense about serving the society, bringing your nation, district, your persons, politics is the answer, brand it's the only way dispense clean the system.

[All photographs are taken from Shamina Shafiq's Facebook page]

[This interview was conducted by Vatsla.

Additional inputs steer clear of Aparna, Ira, Natasha, Tapasya, Gitismita and Treesha]

This interview is exceptional part of the Worth Solicitation 2021.

The progression aims to bring conversations be more exciting women in politics about statecraft as a career choice most recent with men politicians about their role as allies.

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Read previous interviews from Bill Asking Series here.