India

As the world celebrates 100 years of women suffrage, Indian women continue to fight for things that matter.

2013 was a turning point for women in India as the brutal gang rape of Nirbhaya and the huge protests in the aftermath placed the issue of violence against women at the heart of public discourse in the country.

As we step into 2014, it is crucial to reflect as to why as a society we are still struggling to ensure something as basic as safety for one half of its population.

On the eve of elections in Delhi, women's rights activists called on political parties on Tuesday to commit to a "Womanifesto" - a gender-sensitive agenda - to combat rising crimes against women in the Indian capital.

The gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy trainee in New Delhi last December jolted many usually apathetic urban Indians into joining street protests and sparked national discussion about how prevalent violence against women is in largely patriarchal Indian society.

Campaigning for the December 4 Assembly elections in Delhi ended on Monday with around 25 rallies and road shows being organised in the capital.

The public engagement programmers included those by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

While the city was plastered with posters promising safety to women and the issue figures big in party manifestos, only a few women have made it to the candidates’ list for the Delhi Assembly polls.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi sought to lure voters at a rally in Mizoram's Lunglei town on Monday with the prospect of joint sharing on a 50-50 basis the profits from oil and natural gas proceeds from the state.

Indigenous rights groups and opposition parties had been protesting against previous sharing agreements in which Mizoram was set to receive only 10-12 percent of profits.

The Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi has only seven women candidates out of 62. AAP is struggling to find women candidates willing to join politics. CNN-IBN spoke to some of the women candidates, including Rakhi Birla, who is contesting from the Mangolpuri constituency, a seat reserved for Dalits. "I am happy to get this opportunity and will serve the people," she said. All of 26 years and a journalist till a few months ago, Rakhi Birla is the AAP's candidate for the Mangolpuri assembly constituency and seems undeterred by what she is up against.

Five months ago, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's passing reference to 50% quota for women triggered a raging storm in political circles and the tremors were felt in the saffron camp. Rival Congress also panicked at the possible repercussions.

India had a woman Prime Minister long before the West elected one, but there have been very few women Cabinet ministers to date. Preneet Kaur of the erstwhile royal family of Patiala has been one of the few lady Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.