Days after resigning as chief of Delhi Commission of Women (DCW), Swati Maliwal is set to take oath as Aam Aadmi Party’s latest Rajya Sabha MP on Wednesday. Swati Maliwal, in conversation with PTI at her residence, asserted that the moment when she will formally assume office will be the most profound and important occasion of her life. The 39-year-old has had quite a political career, being a core member of the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. She says that she is proud of all that she has accomplished in her political career- from ‘India Against Corruption, to becoming chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women. Here is more about the newly appointed Rajya Sabha MP:
Swati Maliwal was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on 15 October 1984. She went to Amity International School and then received a bachelor's degree in Information Technology from the JSS Academy of Technical Education. She started her career at HCL Technologies Limited. Her political journey began after she joined the NGO "Parivartan" headed by with Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.
Swati Maliwal started her first term as Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women in July 2015. Her tenure in the position was extended another three years in July 2018. She is the youngest person to hold the role of commissioner for women.
Her role as an Activist:
In 2018, she went on a 10-day hunger strike which started on 13 April. She had several demands, including the passage of an ordinance requiring the death penalty for individuals who rape children under age 12, recruiting police under United Nations standards and demanding accountability of the police. Maliwal published an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her strike took place during a series of protests surrounding two alleged rapes of girls ages 16 and 8.
Ms. Maliwal said since she has been an activist, she will continue to raise the issue of women’s safety citing and their participation in the workforce as an MP. She added that she will also raise questions on unemployment and price rise in Parliament.
"My first question is why 51 FIRs are registered every hour over crimes against women. An eight-month-old girl is raped in Delhi and even an 85-year-old woman… Why is Brij Bhushan still in Parliament? Why were Bilkis Bano’s rapists freed?... Why do women form only 23 per cent of the workforce? Raising these questions will be my priority,” she told PTI. She said that her family is scared about her foray into active politics however she asserted that she is not scared to question the government, and that she is even ready to face jail-time for it.