Women should put pressure on parties for 50 per cent quota in Parliament: SC judge

Supreme Court (Files)

Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar on Saturday advised women to “exert pressure on political parties for 50 per cent seats of legislative bodies” for their empowerment. He said that despite constituting 50 per cent of the human race, women are not able to “capture” their share of power, and the only way to do is “to exert pressure on political parties as nothing comes for free”.

He was speaking at a two-day National Conference of All India Federation of Women Lawyers at Gujarat High Court auditorium in Ahmedabad, where he was the chief guest. Justice Chelameswar said that “women as a class is disorganised” and that is one reason why they are not able to exert pressure on the government.

The judge said that “in the scheme of the universe, nature has created certain obligation for women and the most pious one that is the authority to perpetuate the creation by giving birth to life… by virtue of that particular act, women were confined by and large to home. Men were assigned to collecting food, accumulating wealth, building empire and bloodshed”.

Stating that the root cause of sexual harassment and gender exploitation is lack of power, he said: “The day women capture 300 seats in the Lok Sabha you don’t have to make any further demand… please think over why are you not able to do it, not able to capture it despite being 50 per cent of the human race. What is the reason?”

He added, “Look at the political process… Any organised sector is able to put pressure on the government, especially democratic government… industrial, socially or economically backward classes… Each one of sectors is able to exert some pressure on the government. Your (women) class cuts across all segments and still you are not able to exert any pressure.”

Last Saturday, Justice Chelameswar had said that “dynasties, the age-old problem of this country, is another facet of political injustice”.