A rights body Wednesday appealed to women in the country to use NOTA in 2019 elections over the non-passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the winter session of Parliament.

Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, urged women to abstain from voting for political parties and either select a candidate supporting the reservation bill or use NOTA.

"It is important to raise this critical issue of women's political marginalisation in the country in the strongest possible manner. There are only 11 per cent women in politics in India, and the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill can completely change that situation for good," she said.

"However, our political leaders are unwilling to change the patriarchal political system in the country. It is now time that the women of India unite and express their disapproval and discontentment in the strongest manner by exercising their electoral right (NOTA)," Kumari said.

In spite of the promise made by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the bill was not even mentioned in the Lok Sabha, she claimed.

The bill proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in both Parliament and state legislative assemblies.

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