Raj poll marks empowerment with 250 all-women booths

Clad in a pink colour saree, 36-year-old Saroj Kumari is excited as for the first time she is supervising all-women polling booth situated at Rajyaki Madhmik Vidyalaya in Amber here.

Like Saroj, there are many women who are feeling empowered this election because of newly-formed “Pink Booths”, which were managed exclusively by women.

Of the 51,965 polling stations, 259 are all-women booth where both men and women came out to vote. Decorated with pink and white balloons, the women's polling booth is a new experiment by the Election Commission to help increase the participation of women in the electoral system.

"I have earlier also been deputed in a polling centre. But this time it's different. All my fellow colleagues are women and it feels great to serve so many voters," Saroj told DH.

Interestingly, the booth also had two women helpers who assisted several specially abled voters. "Last time when I went to vote there wasn't any helper to assist but this time a young girl helped me this time," Rama Devi, a 78-year-old voter, told DH.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also voted in the all-women polling booth in Jhalrapatan. "As a woman chief minister, casting my vote at a #PinkPollingBooth — run completely by women gives me a great sense of pride," Raje tweeted after casting her vote.

Surprisingly the turnout of women in the last Assembly elections was one per cent higher than men. "This is an innovation by the Election Commission of India towards empowerment of women and polling booths run by women were operated very well. This innovation has attracted more women voters," an election officer said.

There were about 4,76,72871 voters out of which 2,28,26329 are women.