Womens Reservation Bill for Equality
The article Lok Sabha approves historic women’s reservation bill, which appeared in The Hindu on September 21,2023, served as the inspiration for this commentary. It discusses how women are taking part more actively in politics.
For Mains: Gender equality, Women representation in Politics
For Prelims: IWomen’s Reservation Bill 2023
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have overwhelmingly approved the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023. The bill aims to provide women a third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Key features of the Bill
Reservation implementation: The reservation will take effect after the results of the census taken following this Bill’s implementation have been announced. Delimitation will be done to reserve seats for women based on the results of the census. For 15 years, the reservation will be available. But it will remain until the time period specified by a statute passed by Parliament.
Reservation for Women: The Bill guarantees, as closely as possible, one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, state legislatures, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly to women. The seats set aside for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures would also be affected by this.
In accordance with a statute passed by Parliament, seats designated for women shall be switched out following each delimitation.
Reservation for Women in Politics
- The Indian national movement is where the debate for women’s political reservations first emerged. Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu, heads of three women’s organisations, submitted a formal memorandum on the place of women under the new Constitution in a letter to the British Prime Minister in 1931.
- 1988’s National Perspective Plan for Women suggested giving women reservations at all levels of government, from the panchayat to the parliament.
- These recommendations paved the way for the historic adoption of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, which demand that all State governments set aside one-third of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women and one-third of the chairperson positions in urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions at all levels for women. One-third of these seats are set aside for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women (2001) had indicated that higher legislative bodies will take into account reservations.
- The Report on the Status of Women in India (2015) observed that women’s participation in state legislatures and the Parliament remains appalling. It suggested reserving at least 50% of the seats in local government, state legislatures, the parliament, the ministerial levels, and all government decision-making bodies for women.
Arguments
1- Underrepresentation throughout history: The number of women MPs grew from 5% in the first Lok Sabha to 15% in the 17th Lok Sabha, but it is still fairly low.
Women elected under the reservation policy spend more in the public goods that are directly related to women’s problems, according to a 2003 research on the impact of reservation for women in panchayats.
The Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had highlighted in 2009 that women’s seats being reserved in local governments had allowed them to contribute significantly.
2- Women’s participation in politics is a crucial step towards gender equality.
However, India is ranked 48th out of 146 countries in terms of political empowerment in the Global Gender Gap Report 2022. Despite its ranking, its score of 0.267 is rather poor. Some of the top-scoring nations in this area have significantly better ratings. For instance, Bangladesh is rated 9th and Iceland is ranked 1st, both having scores of 0.546.
3- Underrepresentation throughout history: The number of women MPs grew from 5% in the first Lok Sabha to 15% in the 17th Lok Sabha, but it is still fairly low.
Women elected under the reservation policy spend more in the public goods that are directly related to women’s problems, according to a 2003 research on the impact of reservation for women in panchayats.
The Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had highlighted in 2009 that women’s seats being reserved in local governments had allowed them to contribute significantly.
4- Self-representation – A group’s power to shape policy is constrained if it is not fairly represented in the political system. Discrimination against women must end in politics and public life, according to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The results of various surveys do show that women serving as Panchayati Raj representatives have made commendable contributions to the growth and general well-being of society in villages, and many of them would undoubtedly want to work on a larger scale. However, they encounter a number of difficulties due to the political system that is currently in place.
5- Diverse viewpoints may be brought to the decision-making process by a more diverse legislature that includes a sizable proportion of women. Better governance and policy formation may result from this variety.
6-Women’s political representation has a variety of ways that it empowers women. It stimulates women to assume leadership positions in many fields in addition to encouraging more women to get involved in politics.
7- Women in politics frequently prioritise and fight for causes that directly impact women, including gender-based violence, women’s health, equality in education, and economic empowerment. These topics may be given more priority in policy debates as a result of their presence.
8- Women in politics may act as role models for young girls, inspiring them to pursue positions of leadership across a variety of industries. Political representation may dispel misconceptions and motivate future generations. From 1966 through 1977, Indira Gandhi was India’s first and only female prime minister.
After Indira Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj served as India’s second female minister of external affairs.
Arguments against the Bill
- Women do not form a cohesive group like, say, a caste. The same justifications for caste-based reservations cannot, however, be used for women.
- Some people oppose reserving seats for women, arguing that doing so breaches the Constitution’s promise of equality. They contend that if there is a reserve, women won’t be competing on merit, which would lower their social position.
Challenges
1- Delimitation-related issues: The reserve will only take effect when delimitation is completed, and delimitation will only be completed if the pertinent data from the next census is made public.
The precise date of the next census is unknown. As a result, the delimitation is doubly ambiguous.
2- OBC Complaint against the Bill: A quota for women from the OBC is not included in the women’s reservation law, which allocates 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.
The Geeta Mukherjee Committee (1996) advocated granting OBCs access to the women’s reservation.
Women’s Representation
1- Strengthen Independent Decision Making: Create a system or committees of independent oversight that expressly forbids family members from influencing the choices made by women delegates.
By lessening the effect of patriarchal thinking, it may be put into practise.
2- Increasing Education and Awareness: It’s crucial to educate women about their rights and the significance of taking part in politics. The engagement of women in politics may be increased through educational initiatives and awareness campaigns.
3- Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment: Major barriers to women’s engagement in politics include gender-based violence and harassment. A safer and more encouraging environment for women in politics may be created by addressing these problems via legislative and legal measures.
4- Raising Awareness and Education: It’s important to inform women of their rights and the importance of participating in politics. Educational programmes and awareness efforts may help boost the participation of women in politics.
Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment: Gender-based violence and harassment are significant hindrances to women’s participation in politics. By addressing these issues through governmental and judicial actions, a safer and more supportive environment for women in politics may be produced.
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