National women legislators conference seeks reservation for women, law to curb defamatory remarks on social media

Kerala higher education minister and CPI(M) leader Dr R Bindu moved a resolution to make 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies a reality. The resolution said that the Bill envisaging 33 per cent reservation for women in the legislature has been pending in the Lower House of Parliament for the last 26 years.

The Bill could not be passed due to various objections. In the last general election, as many as 78 women were elected to the Lok Sabha even as the reservation Bill was pending legislation. Currently, India ranks 148th in the international rankings for women’s representation in the legislature. The resolution pointed this out as a setback after it was ranked 95th in 1995.

Another resolution adopted in the conference called for a legislation to curb defamatory remarks against women. The resolution moved by A Tamilarasi, a legislator from Tamil Nadu, said that it has come to a stage where even senior women politicians are being defamed on social media.

“This is becoming a reflection of patriarchy,” the resolution said. The resolution called for a comprehensive legislation that could be implemented across the country to curb intimidation, abuse, defamatory statements and anti-feminist behaviour through social media.

The conference was attended by 120 delegates from different states across the country.