Poor registration of female voters in Sirsa, Hisar districts

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, November 21

Indicating lack of awareness about adult franchise among young women, Sirsa district has shown an abysmally low number of enrolment of female voters among new registrations.

The gender ratio gap in the male and female voters in the age group of 18-19 revealed that there were only 3,266 females registered as voters, while there were 8,574 male voters in Sirsa district.

The Election office in Sirsa district revealed that a total of 11,840 voters had been registered in the age bracket of 18-19. This indicated that among the new voters, women were just 27.5%, while the rest of the lot was of young men.

A similar situation prevails in Hisar district as 11,898 male and 5,030 female voters are registered in the age category. There are about 30% of the total new voters are women as out of total 16899 voters, just 5030 were women.

Hisar Divisional Commissioner Geeta Bharti, who is Electoral Roll Observer, directed the officials to launch a drive to improve the enrolment of females as new voters across the division through Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities. She observed that the trend indicated that the parents and guardians were not bothered to get the girls enrolled as voters on attaining the age of adult franchise as the girls were supposed to be married off and then enrolled as voters.

“This trend should change. Thus, we should reach out to them in colleges and universities for their registration as voters,” the Divisional Commissioner stated, adding that youths who were completing 18 years on January 1, 2023, should be made aware of the right to adult franchise.

The low registration number of voters came to light during the meetings held by the Divisional Commissioner in Hisar and Sirsa districts to review the electoral rolls recently. She said the electoral rolls would be revised at the beginning of 2023. “Officials should ensure that the BLO concerned remains active at all booths and organises SWEEP activities like cycle rally, banners, continuous awareness programmes in colleges and universities regarding the revision of voter lists,” she said.

Geeta Bharti said the voter ID card was a very important document. “The cooperation of political parties should also be sought in the revision programme. Special emphasis should be given on making votes of girls who have attained the age of 18. A special campaign should be launched in colleges and educational institutions,” she said.

Sirsa Deputy Commissioner directed the officials to organise programmes in educational institutions to make people aware of the brief revision programme. BLO and Anganwadi workers should ensure total success of this programme by running door-to-door campaigns.

Women just 27.5%

• The data in the election office of Sirsa district revealed that a total of 11,840 voters had been registered in the age bracket of 18-19
• This indicated that among the new voters, women were just 27.5%, while the rest of the lot was of young men

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