Women's Reservation Bill accessed: 'True empowerment will require greater participation of women...'

Narendra Modi government's proposed Constitutional amendment aims to reserve one-third of seats in various legislative bodies for women, fostering greater female participation in policymaking to achieve India's 'Vikasit Bharat' goal by 2047

The Narendra Modi government's Constitutional amendment seeks to provide for, as nearly as may be, one-third of the total seats in the House of the People, the legislative assembly of every State and the Legislative Assembly to be reserved for women. The government's intent is to enable greater participation of women as public representatives in policy-making at the state and national levels. 

Highlighting the pivotal role of women, who constitute half of the population, is of utmost importance in achieving the 'Vikasit Bharat' goal by 2047. According to the Modi government, the realization of a developed India by 2047 necessitates the collective effort of all segments of society, guided by the ethos of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.'

A document, the Women's Reservation Bill, obtained by Asianet Newsable, affirms that the government has undertaken numerous initiatives to elevate 'Nari Shakti' and promote women's empowerment, leading to significant enhancements in their financial independence and equitable access to education and healthcare.

Moreover, the government has placed a strong emphasis on improving the 'Ease of Living,' particularly for women, through a range of programs such as Ujjwala Yojana, access to sanitation facilities under Swachh Bharat Mission, and financial inclusion through Mudra Yojana, among others. According to the government's perspective, genuine women's empowerment entails increased participation in the decision-making process, as women bring diverse viewpoints that enrich legislative debates and the overall decision-making quality.

The government's statement of objective for the Bill emphasizes that while women play a significant role in Panchayat Raj institutions and municipal bodies, their presence in state legislatures and Parliament remains relatively low.

The call for increased representation of women at both state and national levels has long been a pressing issue. The government acknowledges previous endeavours to introduce women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Notably, in 2010, the Rajya Sabha successfully passed a bill advocating for women's reservation, yet it faced challenges in securing approval in the Lok Sabha.