With 14% women representation in Lok Sabha, 10.4% in Rajya Sabha, and a national average of 9% for state assemblies, there is a severe dearth of women leadership in politics. Despite provisions for 50% reservation at the local-body level, women are often the 'namesake leaders' and do not get to exercise the actual power vested in them.
On International Women's Day 2023, we proudly introduced 'The Penn Collective' — a Non-Partisan Collective looking to redefine politics for women in Tamil Nadu. Through our collective, we will support women who are part of the political system, as well as those who would like to take up mainstream politics as their career, in accessing requisite knowledge, resources, opportunities, and support systems.
“You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.
The launch event was graced by the inspiring special address from Dr. Kalpana Karunakaran, Associate Professor at IIT Madras, and Ms. Jothilakshmi, Advocate at the High Court of Madras — a remarkable start adorned by brilliance and inspiration.
