Women's Reservation Bill: Godbole urges training for new legislators

Padma Shri Sunita Godbole welcomed the Women's Reservation Bill but urged immediate preparations to train women for legislative roles. She said reservation must be coupled with capacity-building to ensure able candidates enter Parliament.

Padma Shri Sunita Godbole, a social worker, on Saturday welcomed the Women's Reservation Bill and urged the government and political leadership to begin preparations immediately to train women who are likely to enter legislatures after its implementation.

'Capacity-Building is Key'

Speaking to ANI, Godbole said the move to reserve seats for women in legislatures is a positive step, but stressed the need for capacity-building alongside reservation. "I think this is a welcome step. This should be implemented at the earliest. I express gratitude to the Central government for this. But we should not stop just at the reservation for women; they should also be trained for when they become public representatives, and able candidates should be identified for the same," she said.

She further urged women leaders across political parties to prepare future representatives in advance of the proposed implementation timeline. Encouraging greater participation of women in politics, she added that social perceptions about women's roles in public life must change. "I urge all women politicians to train all such women who will be elected from 2029. But preparations for it should begin now itself. All educated women should step forward. Politics is not considered something for women but this should be changed. Women manage their home and work well, so they should be given the opportunity soon," she said.

Proposed Amendments and Implementation Plan

Her remarks come amid the government's ongoing plans to introduce amendments aimed at increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, with a proposal to reserve at least 273 seats for women.

According to sources, the proposal under consideration includes amendments to the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act and the introduction of the Delimitation Commission Bill. The exercise is expected to use the 2011 Census as the basis for delimitation and redistribution of seats.

Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about one third) reserved for women.

The Union Cabinet has already approved a draft amendment bill to the Women's Reservation Act, paving the way for its implementation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The proposed amendment guarantees 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, including reserved quotas for SC/ST women, marking a significant step towards greater gender representation in Indian politics.

In an open editorial on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the Prime Minister highlighted the contributions of women across sectors and highlighted the importance of increasing their participation in governance.

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