Legislative Assembly: Women's representation underwhelming even after 70 years

KOCHI: Even after seven decades of the birth of a united Kerala, women's representation in the Kerala Legislative Assembly remains short of the century mark. From 1957 to 2021, 50 women have been MLAs 99 times. Out of which, only 11 became ministers.

The record of being an MLA for the most number of times and a minister more than once is held by KR. Gowriamma. She was a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly ten times and twice in the Thiru-Kochi Legislative Assembly. Gowriamma, who was an MLA eight times with the Left and twice in the UDF camp, became a minister four times with the Left and twice in the UDF.

The Kerala Congress and the Muslim League have not yet brought a single woman to the assembly. In the elections held for the fifth assembly in 1970-77, not a single woman contested. In 1967 and 77, there was one woman each in the assembly. There were no women ministers in the cabinet of Pattom Thanupillai (1960), R. Shankar (1962), C. Achuthamenon (1970-77), and K. Karunakaran (77-80). LDF gets the credit for having the most women MLAs and making more than one woman a minister. The first, second and third Pinarayi governments increased the women's representation in the ministry to two or three.

Most times MLAs

1.K.R.Gowriamma......... (10)

2.Bhargavi Thankappan.............. (5)

3.K.K. Shailaja.................(4)

Those leaders who were given three terms

Leela Damodara Menon, K.R. Saraswathi, Rosamma Chacko, J. Mercykutty, Shobhana George, E.S. Bijimol, Aisha Potty.