More women in politics. It sure is a good thing. The cynics would say it?s ironic that women should depend on men to be given a chance to represent the people. We reply to the cynics that it has to start somewhere seeing that we live in a man?s world. But the question remains; will more women in Parliament necessarily serve the cause of women better? I don?t think so.

In a recent conference on women and the media organized by Soroptimist International, participant Nita Deerpalsing said there was nothing worse than a group of women who spend their time praising men. True. Those women then, become worse than the men and they cause a bigger disservice to the cause. Mrs Paula Atchia doesn?t seem to think so though. In a recent interview to ?Week-End?, she talks of the creation of a political party that would be called ?Majority Party? and that would propose a list of women candidates to all political parties who claim they cannot find enough women willing to join them. The only criterion to join the party is a membership to ?the weaker sex?. Mrs Atchia adds that five years ago, she sent letters to the two leaders of the main alliances telling them she was interested to be a candidate.

The worrying thing is that the wrong signals are being sent to women who might be interested to get involved in politics. One gets involved because one is committed to the principles and ideologies of a political party. Not to defend a cause named women. In yet another interview to ?Week-End?, lawyer Pramila Patten said if asked by any political party, she would be a candidate because what matters is ultimately the situation of women in the country.

This thinking is flawed because we are in danger of acting like the politicians who have mastered the art of divide and rule. When you treat women as if they were some kind of ?minority ethnic group?, you are defeating the whole purpose of the battle. The issue is for men and women to be on equal footing, certainly not for women to be in politics entirely to defend or promote as the case may be, their own agendas.

When women joined the newly born Mouvement militant mauricien way back in the 70?s, it was because they believed in an ideal, in a cause, in a project for the betterment of society. The same reasons why the men joined.

What these two ladies are advocating is as ludicrous as a person of a particular caste joining politics to defend other people born in the caste. Both Mrs Patten and Mrs Atchia are known feminists. Both are sensible to the plight of women and both probably have the best of intentions. But in a Parliament where honourable members are not too sure what cause they are defending, it is high time to bring back ideals into the game ? the way it all started.

When we have a hundred women coming forward because they believe in a better society ? be it through communism, socialism or capitalism, then we know we have won the battle.