Opinion: Sexist way to pick election symbols

What does a gas stove, bangle, frock, doll, vanity bag or harmonium remind you of? A male chauvinistic version of a woman who works in the kitchen, takes care of kids, goes out shopping with her husband’s money and perhaps, at best, practices singing early in the morning with the harmonium. The man of the house meanwhile would be sipping tea and reading the newspaper.

The gas stove, bangles, frocks, dolls and the likes have suddenly popped up in the public domain as a debate. The Election Commission has designated these items as election symbols for reserved women candidates in the upcoming municipal election. These sexist selection of symbols instantly triggered resentments among candidates of Awami League, BNP and other political parties. A few rights organisations also protested designation of these symbols.

Critics of these symbols univocally are saying that when the women in Bangladesh are making progress, these symbols undermined them and discouraged them from participating in the election. These symbols should not be used in a civilised country, many say.

The Election Commission (EC) responded to these protests by saying that these symbols were not picked up to dishonour or undermine women. They were selected at random. It said that these symbols cannot be replaced at the moment as the elections are right around the corner. In future, these symbols will be dropped, it added.

We believe that the EC did not ‘consciously’ pick these symbols for the women candidates in reserved seats. It was done ‘unconsciously’. And that reveals the mindset of the people at the EC and also its severe lack of imagination.

Of the billion things in the world, how can the people of EC randomly pick up symbols that appear sexist when put together side by side? We are sure nobody would have bothered about a vanity bag or a frock symbol if other symbols were non-sexist. But they have put up 10 symbols: gas stove, chocolate, bangles, dolls, frock, vanity bag, grapes, scissors, bees and harmonium — as if there’s a hidden message in these symbols put together.

If the EC refrains from being sensitive, one day we might even see election candidates are forced to use symbols like guns, bombs, tender boxes, burning buses, nuclear bombs, moon with a photoshopped image of a bearded man and all kinds of things that might give election the ‘gangster’ look.

By posing as insensitive, the EC is lowering its own image to the nation. Symbols are not just design works. It stands for something. The EC must be very careful when it comes to gender issues in order to continue acting as an honourable national institution.