New Delhi: In a momentous triumph for gender equality, the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill has finally become a reality after more than three decades of relentless struggle. The bill, which had been introduced and repeatedly stalled in Parliament, successfully passed the new parliamentary session today.
The Women’s Reservation Bill was initially presented in Parliament with the noble objective of ensuring 33 percent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. The bill was championed by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The road to this historic achievement has been fraught with challenges, as the bill faced fierce protests and opposition during its multiple attempts at passage. However, persistence and an unwavering commitment to gender equality prevailed.
In 2008, the 108th Amendment Bill to the Constitution was introduced, mandating that one-third (33%) of the total seats in state legislatures and parliaments should be reserved for women. The bill also proposed sub-reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Anglo-Indians, all at a 33 percent quota. Importantly, the bill stipulated that these reservations would be phased out after a 15-year period. During this time, the focus would shift to bridging the gender gap in the parliamentary landscape.
Currently, women MPs constitute less than 15 percent of the Lok Sabha, with even lower representation in many state assemblies, often below 10 percent. The passage of this bill is anticipated to be a transformative step towards rectifying this gender imbalance.
The journey towards this historic moment has been long and arduous. In June 1998, the BJP government introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill as the 84th Constitutional Amendment in Parliament. Regrettably, the bill encountered resistance and lapsed without securing the necessary support. Despite several subsequent attempts in 1999, 2002, and 2003 under the Vajpayee government, success remained elusive.
However, in 2010, a pivotal moment arrived when the Rajya Sabha passed the bill by an overwhelming majority, with 186 votes in favour and just one against. The BJP’s manifesto had consistently promised 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures and parliaments, a pledge that was eventually fulfilled under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government.
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