Why women outnumber men in anti-CAA protests

Anxious about the implications of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), women are out to protest in large numbers.

“This is not strategised or planned, but it is something that has just happened because I think women have caught on to the fact that these laws affect them, most of all,” said Umaira Banu, the state president of the Girls’ Islamic Organisation (GIO), Karnataka.

Shalini Mohan (22), an architect, who was among those attending Saturday’s protest at Town Hall, described the increased presence of women at anti-CAA rallies as a reflection of the power and voice that women are gaining in society. “Women have realised that they can voice opinions,” she said.

But it is not just about voicing an opinion, added Vidya Narayan (40), who described herself as a homemaker. “Women are turning out in greater numbers because it is they who will be most affected by these laws. Even in urban areas, men have all the documentation, including property deeds. The CAA-NRC stands to render many women non-citizens,” she said.

She added that the majority of people congregating at anti-CAA rallies are from the middle class or upper-middle class. “We all have our papers. But who will stand up for the rural folks who have no birth certificates?” she asked.

She added, however, that she believed the NRC would never be implemented in the country. “These are vote-bank tactics intended to allow the BJP to hold on to power for 20 years.”

When asked how long they could maintain the ante of protests, Dr Shifa, another member of GIO, described the anti-CAA protest as a revolution that can only end with the end of the Modi administration. “This is India’s first revolution after Independence and we will carry it till our last breath.”