New Delhi: At the NewsX We Women Want 2025 Conclave and Shakti Awards, Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal) and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev (All India Trinamool Congress) shared candid insights on gender politics, societal shifts, and their journeys in public life.
In a session moderated by NewsX Editorial Director Priya Sahgal, Harsimrat spoke of entering politics in patriarchal Punjab, where early rallies had “a handful of women” compared to halls “filled with women” today. Dev, a former Mahila Congress chief now working under Mamata Banerjee, praised the TMC’s strong female presence from grassroots to assembly.
Both leaders acknowledged persistent gender biases in politics. Harsimrat cited Punjab’s poor girl-child ratio and the challenge of being accepted as a woman leader, while Dev highlighted that women make up 50% of voters yet hold only 14% of parliamentary seats, with under 10% of candidates being women. She also recalled being trolled for using a policeman’s shoulder to scale barricades during a protest.
The MPs agreed women voters have become a decisive electoral force, influencing party strategies. Harsimrat detailed her Nanni Chhaan initiative, which has empowered over 13,000 women in Punjab, and noted changing traditions like celebrating the birth of girls at Lohri. Dev credited Banerjee’s welfare schemes for women and the TMC’s male leadership for supporting gender-inclusive politics.
Both recounted personal journeys—Harsimrat’s shift from a Delhi convent education to rural Punjab politics and Dev’s path from a political family to student elections—and addressed trolling, sexist remarks, and the resilience needed to endure public life.
They closed with a shared message: breaking biases is not about shouting louder but standing firm, leading by example, and creating real opportunities for women in politics.
