Reserved councillor candidates of Dhaka North and South have complained of gender discrimination in the allocation of their election symbols for the upcoming city corporation polls.
The Election Commission has allocated 10 symbols for the reserved women councillor candidates; these are kettle, bird cage, tissue box, glass, betel leaf, glass bottle, radish, steel almirah, grinding stone, and cane stool.
In a view-exchange meeting with the chief election commissioner yesterday, Shampa Basu, a candidate for ward 5 of Dhaka South City Corporation asked CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad why the EC chose these symbols.
“Is it not discriminatory?” she said.
“These symbols represent items generally used by women in household chores. But the female councillors will be public representatives. Allocation of such symbols means complete representation of the patriarchal mentality.
“This type of mentality should be changed,” Shampa said.
Candidate Masuma Khatun Munni of Dhaka north ward 4 on April 12 also questioned the symbol allocation procedure.
She asked the CEC: “Why have these types of symbols been allocated for the female candidates? Is it a way to keep women inside the home?”
Many other female candidates supported Shampa and Munni by shouting at the view-exchange meeting, which took place on April 12-13.
The CEC, however, did not respond to the questions of the female councillor candidates although he answered the questions from the male candidates present at the meeting.