We need early implementation of women's quota bill: Sonia Gandhi

The INDIA bloc parties raised the pitch for early implementation of women's reservation in Parliament and legislatures at a conference in Chennai on Saturday.

Speaking at the Women's Rights Conference, organized by DMK's women's wing, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi said, "The Women's Reservation Bill was introduced by the UPA government at the Centre and was passed in Rajya Sabha. We could not pass it in Lok Sabha because of lack of consensus. Now Women's Reservation Bill has finally been passed due to our relentless persistence. Not only of the Congress but all of us. But as we all know that it still has a long way to go. When is the Bill going to become a reality? 1 year? 2 years? 3 years? We have no idea. I can see some men are happy. But we women are not. We are going to fight till we get there."

Gandhi said that INDIA bloc parties would take urgent steps needed to make women's equality a reality. "It is my fervent hope that we in the INDIA alliance will see to it that the bill will be implemented as soon as possible. We will all work together to see to it that it happens. This is our goal. This will be INDIA alliance goal. This is what we women will fight for. If we all fight together, we will be victorious."

Prominent women leaders from across the political spectrum were present at the conference. Other women leaders who spoke on the occasion included PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, NCP's Supriya Sule, Congress' Priyanka Gandhi, Rakhi Birla of AAP.