Aizawl, Dec 4 : In good news for women empowerment, three women candidates won the Mizoram Assembly elections for which votes were counted on Monday.

This is the first time that three women have been elected to the state legislature in an election as Lalrinpuii of Zoram People’s Movement (ZMP) wins from Lunglei East constituency and Baryl Vanneihsangi of ZPM wins from Aizawl South-3 seat while Pravo Chakma of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) wins from West Tuipui seat.

Mizo society being strictly patriarchal, Mizoram’s main political parties hardly had nominated women candidates in the assembly elections not to talk of women representation in the state legislature.

When Mizoram was a district council under the state of Assam as well as during union territory days since 1972, women were given nominated seats but the first woman to be elected in the legislature (Mizoram was elevated to union territory in 1972 having 30-member legislature) was L. Thanmawii of People’s Conference (PC), led by former chief minister Brig. T. Sailo, from Serchhip constituency in 1978.

The second woman elected to the assembly was K.Thansiami of PC party in 1984, followed by Lalhlimpuii of the MNF who was inducted as the first woman minister of state in 1987 in the government headed by the then chief minister Laldenga. Lalhlimpuii was a minister for 19 months before the government was toppled in the later part of 1988.

Another woman legislator elected was Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu, who was elected in the by-election from Hrangturzo assembly seat in 2014. Chawngthu was inducted as a minister of state in the Congress government headed by chief minister Lal Thanhawla in 2017.

The 3 elected women legislators have been elected after a gap of 9 years of a woman being elected for the last time.