Jobs a major issue for young Muslim women voters in Aligarh

ALIGARH: For young Muslim women voters in Aligarh, jobs are not only a means of livelihood but crucially a pathway to independence and security.

Salma Khatoon (name changed), 21, an engineering graduate facing familial pressures to marry, emphasized the significance of employment for women like her.

"For me, finding a job is about more than just a career, it's about independence. If I can't find work, I'll have to follow my family's wishes," she said.

Similarly, first time voter Syeda Fatima, a computer engineering master's student, has been advised by her family to prioritize marriage if she cannot secure a job placement.

Highlighting a common sentiment among Muslim women in Aligarh, Farhat Jahan, a retired teacher at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), said, "For women here, jobs represent not just livelihood but independence and security. They do not want to regress to a time when their sole purpose was to study to find a suitable husband."

The issue of unemployment resonates strongly among these women, influencing their stance in the upcoming elections.

Asra Alavi, a 29-year-old PhD scholar at AMU, spoke candidly about the challenges of securing employment, particularly in academia.

"The main problem we are facing right now, irrespective of gender or religion, is unemployment," she said, expressing concern over the reduction in academic positions and emphasised the need for sustainable development plans beyond election cycles.

Sadaf Tasneem, a 22-year-old pursuing MA in Modern Indian History at AMU, highlighted the multifaceted concerns affecting women, including employment and safety.

"As a student, I will prioritize employment and women's safety, given the current state of confusion and violence in the country," she said.

"As a student of Masters who is at a post graduation stage, I will look into the factor of employment that is really into the ambiguous state right now paper are getting leaked and there is a lot of confusion regarding employment in the country so I will look into the employment, secondly I will look into the factor of women safety we have noticed that a lot of promises have been made into this very specific field," Tasneem said.

Noting that women itself is a caste in India, she said even in that specific caste and class Muslim women are more vulnerable.

"... And when I say that I mean the identity attacks Muslim women continuously face on the basis of their clothes, on the basis of their religious practices, on the basis of their marital choice," Tasneem said.

"Like for me, I have recently begin this practice of adorning a hijab and I am very happy to do so not because I am forced to do so but because it is my choice I feel comfortable in it and I think there is a large majority of girls who do it wilfully rather than being forced to do so. So it is their choice and article 25 guarantees the same," she said.

Kashish Khan, another student at AMU, stressed the importance of candidates focusing on developmental goals over religious slogans.

"I would vote for a candidate who addresses issues like lack of opportunities for women and communal tensions," she said.

With employment emerging as a key electoral issue, political candidates are aiming to address these concerns.

Samajwadi Party candidate Bijendra Singh has highlighted rising unemployment and the need for Hindu-Muslim unity in his campaign.

Incumbent MP Satish Gautam of the BJP has also promised to prioritize job creation.

In the midst of broader political discourse, Muslim women voters in Aligarh are eager for substantive solutions to their employment challenges, viewing this issue as pivotal to their pursuit of independence and empowerment, Jahan said.

Aligarh goes to poll in the second phase of elections on April 26. Khair, Baroli, Atroli, Kol and Aligarh city are assembly segments in the Aligarh parliamentary constituency.