Seeds of equality are bearing fruit

Mumbai is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation setting new benchmarks in civic leadership At the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC key levers of power are now in womenrsquos hands The mayor and leader of the Oppositionrsquos posts are held by women while crucial committees such as BEST Education and Improvement are led by themIn a civic body long perceived as a maledominated arena this is more than routine reshuffling It signals a meaningful shift in the cityrsquos governance landscapeUrban administration is neither symbolic nor ceremonial These are not ldquosoftrdquo responsibilities They are complex highstakes portfolios that demand administrative skill political negotiation and fiscal discipline Managing transport networks that carry millions overseeing public health systems in one of the worldrsquos densest cities planning housing in a spacestarved metropolis and preparing for climaterelated challenges that define coastal life mdash these are decisions that shape the daily lives of citizensThis moment becomes even more significant when viewed against the recent past A decade or two ago Maharashtrarsquos corridors of power told a different story Women officers even when they were among the most senior and fully qualified often found themselves edged out when the statersquos top posts were being decided When Mumbairsquos police commissioner was to be appointed or when the position of chief secretary came up for discussion the final nod routinely went to male IPS and IAS officers There was no formal rule barring women No policy explicitly denied them the opportunityYet the outcome was predictable The glass ceiling was invisible but firmly intactThis was despite India having already seen a woman rise to its highest political office Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had once reminded the nation that in India the symbol of strength is a woman the goddess Shakti Yet for years women were celebrated in theory while power structures hesitated to entrust them with the most influential roles in practiceBut the struggle for equality in Maharashtra did not begin in government offices It began much earlier on dusty streets outside closed doors and inside a small classroom in 1848 That was the year Savitribai Phule opened Indiarsquos first school for girls in Maharashtra At a time when most girls were not even allowed to step out of their homes freely this was not merely an educational initiative It was an act of defianceThe classroom she started may have been small in size but the change it sparked was enormous That quiet beginning continues to shape Maharashtra and India to this dayThat legacy of reform carried forward across generations Ramabai Ambedkar stood alongside Dr BR Ambedkar during the years of social upheaval and constitutional change Mahadev Govind Ranade and Ramabai Ranade worked to promote womenrsquos education and dignity when such ideas were considered radical They were not campaigning for posts or positions they were reshaping social attitudes They understood that equality was not a favour to be granted but a right to be recognisedToday that belief is increasingly visible in positions of authority In recent years Maharashtra has seen women occupy some of the statersquos most powerful administrative posts including deputy chief minister chief secretary CS and director general of police DGP These are not ceremonial roles They influence governance law enforcement and public policy at the highest levelsThere was a time when daughters were encouraged to study hard so they could secure stable employment Few were told they could run cities shape budgets or command police forces That mindset now feels outdated Across Mumbai and Maharashtra women are not merely participating in governance they are directing itYet the broader national picture remains uneven Women continue to be underrepresented in legislative bodies across India Progress at the civic level therefore should not invite complacency It should serve as a foundationMumbai has often set the tone for wider change Its experiments in finance infrastructure and urban reform frequently ripple beyond the cityrsquos boundaries If its civic leadership can demonstrate that competence and authority are unrelated to gender that message may resonate far beyond municipal wallsThis transformation may not resemble a dramatic revolution There are no slogans announcing a new order But from a woman once attacked for educating girls to women steering some of the statersquos most powerful institutions the arc of change is unmistakableThe seeds of equality planted generations ago are bearing visible fruit This moment may not mark the end of a struggle but it does suggest the beginning of a more balanced chapter in Maharashtrarsquos and Indiarsquos political storySanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevShivadekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper