THE newly elected Left Democratic Front government has made a history by including two women in the cabinet. So far, all the governments had a single woman minister. Even the women leaders of the Congress party had hailed the LDF’s decision to increase the number of woman ministers who have been fighting valiantly for the rights of women and workers. CPI(M) Central Committee member KK Shailaja and state committee member J Mercykutti Amma are the new women ministers. Shailaja will look after the health portfolio and Mercykutti Amma will look after traditional fisheries and industries like cashew. AIDWA leader KK Shailaja defeated KP Mohanan, agriculture minister in this election in Koothuparamba constituency. A native of Pazhassi in Mattannur, Kannur district, KK Shailaja entered politics through student-youth movements. She worked as the DYFI state committee member and as Kannur district secretary of AIDWA. She resigned from the teaching profession to involve in wholetime political activity. She is now the state secretary of AIDWA and editor of Sthreeshabdam magazine, the organ of AIDWA. Shailaja successfully contested in assembly elections in 1996 in Koothuparamba. In 2006 she won from Peravoor and in 2011 she lost in the same constituency. Now she contested from Koothuparamba and wrested the seat for the LDF. Shailaja has always stood by the women in their plight and worries. As a legislator, she had raised the concerns of women in the assembly and it drew the attention of authorities to the burning issues of women. Her husband K Bhaskaran serves as the chairman of Mattannur Municipal Corporation and the couple has two children. Fisheres and Cashew minister Mercykutti Amma won from Kundara in Kollam district with a massive majority. She was the all India vice president of the SFI central executive committee. She completed graduation from Fatima Matha College and post graduation from SN College Kollam. Mercykutti suffered brutal police atrocities in various struggles. In 1984 she was in the forefront of the struggle of cashew workers who fought for DA. In 1987 Mercykutti fought her maiden election battle from Kundara and won. In 1996 she repeated the victory. She became district committee member of the CPI(M) in 1988 and state committee member in 1995. She is now the all India vice president of the CITU. Her husband B Thulasidharakurup works as the district president of the CITU. The couple has two children.