Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 12 August 22 ,Women's empowerment initiatives need to be genuine I write in reference to Taniya Dutta's article Indian state warns men against taking oath of office for wives elected to village councils (August 8): as the cliche goes, there are many Indias. On one hand, the country has made great progress when it comes to women's empowerment; on the other, we read or hear stories of women continuing to live in the shadows of men. Sometimes one wonders what the point is of reserving 33 per cent of seats for women in India's village government system, when, in many cases, it is not the women representatives but their husbands who are calling the shots. Kudos to the state government for stepping in to resolve this problem. And while I end up feeling a little exasperated after reading such stories, a part of me genuinely believes that we are making progress, even if it is slow. Some critics may call women's reservation an eyewash, but surely it will inspire countless girls to play an active role in governance and nation-building. K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India