Reservation for women in politics

Reservation for women


Introduction

Even after so much upliftment of women in every field, it is still challenging to find political representation. Of the total population, 48.39% are women but even after 75 years of independence Parliament lacks proper representation from half of the population

Political representation

  • As on April 20, about 14.4% of sitting MPs are women. Women had significant participation during the freedom struggle, fighters like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu, Madam Bhikaiji Cama, and many others played vital roles as leaders and influenced many people. 
  • Women gave a memorandum in 1931 that adult franchises should be accepted without any sex discrimination and equal rights for men and women.
  • This was about before the independence but after that, in 1955 a government-based committee recommended for 10% women reservation in Lok Sabha and State assemblies but in 1988 national plan for women recommended for 30% reservation which. Then in 1993 for the first time, political reservation is done by the 74th amendment act and women got 33% of reservations in local bodies. 
  • In 1996 for the first time Women's reservation bill is introduced in Lok Sabha, it seeks for 30% reservation in state assemblies and Lok Sabha. In 2010 the bill is introduced and passed in Rajya Sabha, but Lok Sabha did not decide on this matter and the bill lapsed. 

The argument in favor

  • According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, India holds the 48th position out of 146 countries for women's participation in politics.
  •  In Lok Sabha 14% of sitting MPs are women and in state assemblies, the number is only 9%.
  • During the 2019 Lok Sabha election less than 9% of fielded members are women.
  • Women who got a chance for representation after the 74th Amendment have done exemplary work and this is enough to say that if given a chance they can do good at the state and national level.

Solution

  • One of the approaches should be to provide for reservation in the candidature of political parties and not in constituencies. It will not create a legislature whose large number of women members have reached there just by defeating other women candidates.
  • There is a negative side to this proposal of proper reservation as political parties will field women candidates from constituencies where they are unlikely to win. Parties might chose not to spend their resources on women candidates and just full fill the quota. Lok Sabha has a partial solution to this problem and it is that a party should field women in 33% of seats they are contesting for. This will not solve the issue as a party may field women candidates from constituencies they are weaker in.
  • Another suggestion is the idea of dual member constituencies but this will cause another issue that who will be accountable for performance.


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