Women members in the Rajya Sabha on Friday urged the Government to ensure the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Bill, which proposes 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures, was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but has been stuck in the lower house for nine years.
The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, commonly known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, needs to be approved by the Lok Sabha in order to become law.
Referring to the protests in Kerala regarding the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, the DMK’s Kanimozhi said there was discrimination against women in the country.
“When we look around — we don’t have to go into the statistics — we can count the number of women in both the Houses,” Ms. Kanimozhi said. “Even in Parliament, in the Legislative Assemblies, we pass Bills, we make laws, we amend laws and only men are making decisions for women. I think, it is absolutely unfair because our voices are not heard, our viewpoints are not heard. I request the Government to do something in this regard. It is there in their Election Manifesto. It is a promise which they have given to the nation and we are all there with them to support them to bring this Bill... We see what is happening in Sabarimala. I mean, there is so much discrimination against women in this country. So, to address that, I think, our voices should be heard and laws cannot be made without women,” she added.
Women members spoke in favour of the legislation after Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu allowed short submissions. He converted notices from some members for discussions into matters that could be raised during the Friday Zero Hour.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan said her party was not against the Bill but wanted sub-reservation to be provided for Dalits. “Also political parties should be given right to choose the seats or constituencies from where they wish to field 33% women. There are unnecessary rumours that our party is against the Bill. We are not against the women’s reservation bill. We are for the reservation bill but we have certain recommendations. The bill is cosmetic in its present form,” Ms. Bachchan said.
Jharna Das Baidya of the CPI (M) said the BJP had absolute majority in the Lok Sabha but had not got the bill passed as yet.
V. Thota Seetharama Lakshmi (TDP) said her party supports the legislation and appealed to the government to ensure its passage in the lower house.
Shanta Chhetri (TMC) said her party had given a third of the tickets to women in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and West Bengal had already provided 50% reservation to women in local bodies.
Vijila Sathyananth (AIADMK) urged the government to ensure the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. “You have enormous majority” to pass the legislation, she said. She also asked the government to confer the Bharat Ratna on the AIADMK’s late leader J. Jayalalithaa, whom she described as the “greatest leader of the century.”
Sonal Mansingh (nominated) said the rotational provision in the Bill needs attention and detailing.
Women in legislatures will bring “grace, wisdom and harmony”, she said.
Congress member Viplove Thakur said there cannot be women’s empowerment until they become decision makers.