Women’s Reservation Bill
Introduction:
- Women have been breaking the patriarchal glass barrier in every field, but in politics, they still have the hardest difficulty finding a place. India may have achieved suffrage much earlier than other nations, but women still face significant barriers to political participation and lack the right to rule. Depressingly, even 75 years after the nation gained independence, women only control 14% of the seats in Parliament.
Women’s involvement in politics:
- During India’s struggle for independence, women organised protests, led rallies, and raised awareness. There were many female representatives in the Constituent Assembly.
- A decade ago, the fact that the chief ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh—three of India’s largest States—were female made headlines.
- While Sushma Swaraj led the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi served as both the chair of the United Progressive Alliance and the president of the Congress Party. Pratibha Patil became India’s first female president around the same period.
Regression and the government’s position:
- Despite the fact that there are strong women in Indian politics, patriarchal backlash has resulted in a significant decline in women’s status since the 1980s.
- It can be dated back to 1955, when a government-appointed committee suggested giving women 10% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies.
- The National Perspective Plan for Women (1988), however, advocated for 30% of seats in all elected bodies to be reserved for women, which boosted the demand for women’s reservations in the 1980s. This recommendation was reiterated in the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001.
- When the Panchayati Raj Act was updated in 1993, women were given the opportunity to run for 33% of all seats in local government bodies, which was a significant step towards their political emancipation.
- In 1996, the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced to the Lok Sabha. Women would be allotted one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, according the proposed legislation.
- It stumbled but gained momentum in the early 2000s after facing vehement opposition from numerous political organisations. The Bill was approved by the Rajya Sabha in 2010.
Worldwide occurrences
- All around the world, women are performing better than men as leaders.
- Scandinavian countries have established legislative and organisational frameworks that support women’s involvement in politics and leadership.
- Rwanda, a nation in central Africa, is making efforts to mend the scars caused by the genocide in large part because of a leadership that is predominately female.
- Norway implemented a quota system in 2003 that mandated women hold 40% of the seats on corporate boards.
How to boost women’s representation:
- Parties should ensure that women are represented in politics.
- Education and training.
- The topic of political gender violence should be raised.
- Eliminate social and cultural barriers.
Moving forward:
- In our quest to make India a Vishwa Guru, we must not undervalue the crucial part that women may play in the formation and advancement of our country. In order to achieve gender equality and ensure that women have equal opportunity to participate in politics, policymaking, civil society organisations, etc., it is imperative that we remove the barriers to the representation of women in politics.
