Women Voters Reduced to Relational Identities in Welfare Schemes

The article discusses how women-centric welfare schemes in India often use terms like 'beti' (daughter), 'behen' (sister), and 'ma' (mother) to address women.

The authors, Guncha Shandilya and Srishti Negi, argue that this language reduces women to their relational identities rather than recognizing them as independent citizens.

They believe that such terminology perpetuates the idea that women are dependent on men for protection and support, which can undermine their political agency.

The authors provide examples of various schemes like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Mukhyamantri Laadli Behen Yojna' to illustrate their point.

They suggest that using more neutral language could help in acknowledging women as independent decision-makers and leaders.