Former Kerala Women’s Commission Chairperson MC Josephine passed away on Sunday, April 10. She was 74. Josephine, who was in Kannur to attend the CPI(M) Party Congress, had collapsed at the venue on Saturday and had been taken to AKG Hospital. Her tenure as the Kerala Women’s Commission chief was quite controversial, her insensitive remarks about women triggering outrage on multiple occasions. She was also a central committee and state committee member of the CPI(M), having entered politics in 1978.
According to reports, Josephine had suffered a heart attack. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled her passing, calling the unexpected death of the prominent CPI(M) member painful. “Josephine was a leader who worked for the working class, women and for the people. She was actively present in student and women politics for more than 50 years,” the Chief Minister said.
Josephine had also headed the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), the Greater Cochin Development Authority and the Women Development Corporation in her political career. She was a native of Murikkumpadam in Ernakulam district. She is survived by her son Manu P Mathai, daughter-in-law Jyothsna and two grandchildren.
During her tenure as the state Women's Commission Chairperson, Josephine had found herself in the eye of a storm multiple times over her thoughtless remarks against women. In June 2021, her unkind response to a domestic violence complainant led to a lot of public outrage, and she had to later tender her resignation. Josephine was attending a live television show hosted by a Malayalam news channel when a young woman told her that she faced harassment at the hands of her husband and mother-in-law. Josephine, who sounded irritated with the woman over some noise from the background during the phone call, asked her if she had approached the police. When the victim said no, Josephine said, “Then you suffer.”
In June 2020 and January 2021 too, there were demands to remove Josephine from the Women's Commission post over similar controversial remarks.