The recently enacted landmark legislation, mandating one-third reservation of parliamentary and assembly seats for women, has the potential to revolutionize gender equality in political representation. The bill had first been tabled in Parliament nearly three decades ago. Women in politics can advocate for cultural transformation that emphasize gender equality and the importance of women’s economic contributions. It not only addresses the immediate need for gender equality in political voices but also offers a path to tackle the deep-rooted challenges that have constrained women’s labour force participation in India and, in turn, drive economic growth and gender equality in the country.
To understand the far-reaching impact of enhancing women’s representation in politics, it is important to highlight how far behind women are in almost all walks of life in India despite constituting 50 percent of the workforce. India ranks among the nations with the lowest representation of women in politics while grappling with an alarmingly low female labour force participation rate. In 2021, a mere 10.5 percent of India’s Parliament members were women, falling far behind global counterparts such as sub-Saharan Africa (26 percent), Nepal (34 percent), and Pakistan (20 percent). Simultaneously, India’s female labour force participation hovers at a dismal 25 percent, trailing the global average of nearly 50 percent, with only a few countries like Yemen, Iran, and Iraq reporting lower rates.
This is an eye-opener. Despite the one-third political representation, women have a long way to go. Anyways, the representation quote is not coming into effect in the next parliamentary election but may only be implemented in 2029 general elections, or the subsequent one in 2034. This is because the bill’s implementation is subject to delays due to its linkage with two unrelated factors: delimitation and the Census. It is unfortunate that the implementation of women’s reservation has been tied to delimitation, as the principle of reserving one-third of seats for women has no direct connection to the territorial boundaries of constituencies or the number of constituencies in each state. Consequently, women will not have access to the 33% reservation in the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election.
India granted women voting rights from the very beginning, so it should not have waited when it came to ensuring more substantial political representation for them. Achieving gender equality in politics is not just a matter of justice, it is essential for the country’s growth and progress. To institute meaningful change in key areas, women must have a greater say in the decision-making process.
In Jammu and Kashmir too, the one-third political representation for women will make a marked redeeming difference to their plight. It would make a bigger difference when applied to Assembly elections as more women in the state legislature would give them a greater say in the affairs of the region.
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