GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Polity: Reservation
Context: The Lok Sabha passed the Women’s Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023) with more than a two-thirds majority.
Status of Women Representation in India:
- According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, India ranks 48th out of 146 in the Political Empowerment (Percentage of Women in Parliament and in Ministerial Positions) dimension.
- At present, only about 14.4% of the members of the Indian Parliament are women, the highest so far.
- Voting Share improving: Almost as many women as men cast ballots in the most recent Lok Sabha election in 2019, marking a turning point in India’s journey towards gender equality in politics
Major provisions of the Bill and their significance:
After Lok Sabha?
The bill will have to be passed by Rajya Sabha by a majority of the total membership of the house and by a majority of not less than 2/3rd of members of the House “present and voting”. Bill will require ratification by at least 50% of states
Historical Background of Women’s Reservation:
| Period | Events |
| Pre-Independence Period | Long-standing demand for political reservation of women. |
| In 1931, three women’s bodies sent a letter to the British Prime Minister requesting a political reservation for women during the National Movement. | |
| Government of India Act, 1935 | The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women separate electorates but did not reserve seats for them in the legislature. It marked a step toward political participation for women. |
| Constituent Assembly | The issue of women’s reservation was discussed in the Constituent Assembly debates. However, it was rejected on the grounds that a democracy should provide representation to all groups. |
| Committee of the Status of Women 1971 | The committee recommended the reservation of women in local bodies. |
| The National Perspective Plan for Women in 1988 | This plan also recommended the reservation of women in local bodies. |
| Constitutional Amendments (1992) | These recommendations led to the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, which mandated all State governments to reserve one-third of the seats for women in local bodies. |
Arguments in favour of the Women’s Reservation Bill:
| Argument | Significance |
| Increase in political representation of women | Addresses India’s low global ranking in women’s political representation. |
| India ranks low in global women’s legislative representation, trailing behind 140 other countries – IPU 2021 Report | |
| The ability of women’s leadership to bring change | Empirical evidence shows that women leaders focus on public goods related to women’s concerns. |
| Women legislators have been associated with improved economic outcomes and infrastructure development. | |
| A step towards decriminalization of politics | Reserved seats can potentially reduce the presence of politicians with serious criminal cases. |
| The current Lok Sabha includes 159 MPs with serious criminal charges, including rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. | |
| More women vote share | Aligns political representation with the voting patterns of women. The vote share of women in elections has been continuously increasing. |
| Breaking patriarchy | Promotes gender equality in political leadership and decision-making. |
| Changing stereotypes | Challenges traditional gender roles and perceptions of women’s roles. |
Arguments against the Bill:
| Argument Against the Bill | Explanation |
| Not a Homogeneous Group | Women are not a homogenous community like caste groups, making comparisons with caste-based reservations inappropriate. |
| Violation of the Equality Principle | Critics argue that reserving seats for women contradicts the Constitution’s equality guarantee, as it may be perceived as a lack of competition based on merit. |
| No Separate OBC Reservation | The Bill doesn’t provide separate reservations for OBC women, despite OBC women constituting a significant portion of the female population. |
| Exclusion from Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils | The Bill doesn’t extend reservation to women in the Rajya Sabha and legislative councils. |
| Dependency on Census and Delimitation | Implementation of women’s reservation depends on the census and delimitation processes, which can be delayed or politically sensitive. |
| Fear of Proxy Representation | There are concerns that women may be used as proxies by male family members, similar to what has happened in panchayats (local governments). |
| Restriction on Voters’ Choice | Some argue that reserving seats for women limits voters’ choices, suggesting alternatives like women’s reservation within political parties. |
What Should be Done:
- Raise Awareness and Education: Educate women about their rights and the importance of political involvement through awareness campaigns.
- Combat Gender-Based Violence: Address gender-based violence and harassment with policies and legal measures to create a safer political environment for women.
- Electoral Reforms: Implement electoral reforms like proportional representation and preferential voting to ensure more women are elected.
- Intra-Party Democracy: Institutionalize intra-party democracy to encourage more women candidates.
- Strengthen Women’s Self-Help Groups: Promote women’s participation at the grassroots level to groom potential candidates for higher offices.
- Support Women’s Agencies: Strengthen organizations that work for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Engage Young Women: Encourage girls’ participation in student politics and political debates at colleges and universities.
Insta Links:
- Way forward for Women in the Indian political system
- Women’s Reservation Bill: History, politics behind long-pending law
Mains Links:
“The reservation of seats for women in the institutions of local self-government has had a limited impact on the patriarchal character of the Indian Political Process.” Comment. (UPSC 2019)
