'Mass disenfranchisement of women, transgender persons': Feminist alliance seeks mid-course correction

By A Representative 

The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA-NAPM), a national coalition of feminist organizations, has issued an urgent appeal to the Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding immediate remedial measures to prevent the systematic exclusion of women and transgender persons from electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

Citing alarming data from the first two phases of the SIR that impacted 13 states and Union Territories, the coalition highlighted that up to 8.9% of living voters were not included in the updated rolls. The group warned that women, transgender persons, and minority communities, particularly Muslims, are being "deleted in greater percentages than their proportion in the population," with substantial drops in the gender ratio observed in states like Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal .

In a formal letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, the alliance expressed "deep dismay and concern at the systematic decimation and large-scale erosion of women's voting rights." They argued that the ECI has adopted a "patriarchal, patrilineal understanding" of voter eligibility that ignores the complex realities of women and transgender individuals who are often estranged from their natal or marital families. The appeal calls for an expansion of the basis of voter eligibility beyond "lineage/kinship and household" to include migrants, homeless individuals, and those living in shelters .

Key demands issued by the alliance include:

1. Alternative Documentation: The ECI must provide alternative routes for documentation to avoid forcing women and transgender people to "run from pillar to post in search of proof." This includes accepting "marriage invitation cards" or names as parents in children's certificates. 

2. Transgender and Gender-Diverse Inclusion: The ECI must recognize "name and gender mismatches as a structural issue." The coalition demands that gazette notifications and transgender IDs/certificates be admitted as valid proof, and alternative methods for establishing linkage be created for those estranged from their families .

3. Addressing 'Logical Discrepancy' Criteria: The group criticized the ECI for categorizing women as "suspect" based solely on name changes—often due to patriarchal customs—or because of age gaps between mother and child that do not consider historical rates of teenage pregnancy. 

4. Transparency and Accountability: The alliance has demanded the publication of gender-disaggregated data on additions and deletions, independent social audits, and a formal clarification from the ECI that exclusion from the SIR list is "not a denial of Citizenship status," to dispel widespread confusion and fear.

The appeal further requests a mid-course correction in Phase-3 of the SIR, urging the ECI to increase time periods for the process, set up gender-friendly help desks, and enable the re-admission of those unjustly left out without forcing them into a "torturous process of proving 'citizenship all over again.'"

The letter, signed by 50 prominent activists including Abha Bhaiya, Chayanika Shah, and Arundhati Dhuru, concludes with a plea to the constitutional authority to ensure that no women or transgender persons above 18 are left out of the voter lists due to "systemic gaps" .