SHUBHA Lakshmi is pursuing her graduation in English literature. She is the newly elected secretary of CPI(M)’s Vilakkuvattam branch, in Kollam district. She is one of the youngest branch secretaries of CPI(M) in the state.

In the branch conferences being held in the state, more women leaders are coming to the forefront of the organisation. The number of CPI(M) branches headed by woman secretaries has increased significantly.
The representation of women in local self-governments has reached 50 per cent with the intervention of LDF governments. The advent of Kudumbashree projects has helped women to become financially independent. During the last assembly elections, LDF had made an important commitment to provide pensions to all housewives in the state.

Arya Rajendran, 21-year-old, Balasangham state president was elected as the mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation after the LDF got a thumping majority in local bodies election. Many women leaders in their early twenties have also been elected to the post of panchayat presidents.
The induction of women, especially young women to the Party’s local leadership can be understood in this backdrop. In every district, a large number of women branch secretaries were elected. In Kozhikode district, 345 women were elected as branch secretaries. There were just 111 women secretaries in the last term.

Kannur district, which is going to host the 23rd Party Congress comes the second with 163 women branch secretaries. In the Kazargode district, 120 women were elected as branch secretaries. In Palakkad district - 145, Thiruvananthapuram- 149, Kollam - 204, Pathanamthitta -116, women were elected as branch secretaries.