Women Reservation Bill 2023 Movement Gains Steam
The Women Reservation Bill 2023, or the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, was passed with a whopping majority in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The bill calls to reserve one-third or 33% of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.
The bill to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal saying it is part of a series of measures the government has taken for the empowerment of women.
A significant political party recently stepped up its call for the long-delayed Women’s Reservation Bill to be introduced promptly in Parliament, just in time for the upcoming monsoon session.
According to a report by News18 citing people familiar with the developments, the Women Reservation Bill, 2023, cannot be immediately implemented because the Indian Government needs to bring into consideration a fresh census and delimitation exercise, in order to avoid a legal challenge.
The report also quoted Union Home Minister Amit Shah explaining that that the government could be accused of partisanship if a seat was reserved for women without any criteria determined through a delimitation exercise.
Notably, the last census data is of 2011 and the last delimitation was done even before that. The 2021 census was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had on Wednesday, said in Lok Sabha that the Women Reservation Bill, 2023, should be implemented immediately, and the OBC reservation should also be given in the women quota.
Background on the Women Reservation Bill 2023
In a historic move, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday unanimously passed the women’s reservation bill after an 11-hour debate. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, now 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and in the state assemblies will become a law and will be implemented after census and delimitation, a point that the Opposition questioned. In the Lok Sabha, only two MPs from the AIMIM opposed the bill. There was no abstention in the Rajya Sabha during the voting for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam bill.
This is the first bill to have been passed in the new Parliament building. After the bill was cleared by the Upper House, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar congratulated the members and said it is a historic achievement. “Historic achievement, congratulations. It is also a coincidence that today is PM Modi’s birthday by Hindu calendar,” Dhankar said after the bill was passed.
Ahead of the voting, PM Modi spoke in the Rajya Sabha on the bill and said this bill will lead to a new confidence in the people of the country.
PM Modi congratulated after the bill cleared the Rajya Sabha hurdle and called it a ‘defining moment’ in India’s history. “A defining moment in our nation’s democratic journey! Congratulations to 140 crore Indians. I thank all the Rajya Sabha MPs who voted for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Such unanimous support is indeed gladdening,” PM Modi tweeted.
“With the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament, we usher in an era of stronger representation and empowerment for the women of India. This is not merely a legislation; it is a tribute to the countless women who have made our nation. India has been enriched by their resilience and contributions. As we celebrate today, we are reminded of the strength, courage, and indomitable spirit of all the women of our nation. This historic step is a commitment to ensuring their voices are heard even more effectively,” PM Modi added.
In May 2008, the Rajya Sabha first considered this important piece of legislation, which was then sent to a standing committee for review. It was sent to the Lok Sabha in 2010 after receiving clearance in the Rajya Sabha. With the dissolved of the 15th Lok Sabha, the Bill, however, came to an abrupt end.
Key Insights into the Women Reservation Bill 2023
On September 20, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill that would amend the Constitution and grant one-third reservation to women in the Parliament and State Assemblies with almost universal support, 27 years after the women’s reservation Bill was first submitted in Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha will now consider the Bill for passage during the final two days of the Special Sessions of Parliament, which may require support from fifty percent of the States.
Just Two Dissenting Voices: Lok Sabha Passes Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth) Bill 2023
In a resounding display of support, a staggering 454 members of the Lok Sabha threw their weight behind the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth) Bill 2023, comfortably meeting the constitutional requirement of a “two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.”
Remarkably, only two members, Asaduddin Owaisi and Syed Imtiyaz Jaleel of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, stood in opposition to the Bill.
The voting process, which saw the presence of Prime Minister Modi, extended over nearly two hours as members manually cast their votes using paper slips.
A Battle for Recognition: The Eight-Hour Long Debate
The eight-hour long debate witnessed a spirited clash between members from the Treasury and Opposition benches, primarily led by the Congress. The contention revolved around who deserved credit for this historic Bill and the question of introducing a distinct quota for women hailing from other backward classes (OBCs).
Home Minister Amit Shah assured the House that the government would address any potential shortcomings in the future. He stated, “Support the Bill, and reservation will be assured,” directing this message to Opposition members.
The ‘Quota within Quota’ Controversy: Women Reservation Bill 2023
Notably, the Congress altered its stance from its position in 2010. In a noteworthy shift, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who opened the debate, advocated for a separate quota within the quota for OBCs, following a caste census. She further emphasized that there was no necessity to delay the Bill’s implementation by tying it to a frozen delimitation exercise until 2026.
“It is the Congress’s demand to immediately implement the Bill… But alongside that, provisions should be made for the reservation of SC, ST, and OBC women,” she asserted.
BJP’s OBC Credentials Challenged
Responding to the demand for a separate OBC quota, Home Minister Amit Shah countered by highlighting the BJP’s strong OBC representation. He noted that the BJP not only had the highest number of OBC lawmakers across the political spectrum but also boasted a Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, hailing from the same community.
Providing a detailed breakdown, Mr. Shah stated that 85 BJP MPs, comprising 29% of its total strength, belonged to the OBC category. Additionally, he pointed out that 29 Ministers were also drawn from backward communities.
The Argument Against Immediate Reservation
Minister of Law Arjun Ram Meghwal contended that immediate reservation contravened the provisions of the Constitution and could potentially face legal challenges. He affirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the Bill didn’t get entangled in technicalities.
In a Lok Sabha debate that featured the participation of 60 members, including 27 women MPs, electronic voting was not feasible due to some political parties’ failure to communicate division numbers or specific seat allocations to individual members to the Lok Sabha secretariat. This complexity led to a protracted voting process.
Origin: This Bill was inspired by a constitutional amendment that was adopted in 1993. According to this amendment, women had to hold one-third of the slots for Sarpanches, or village council leaders, in gramme panchayats. The Lok Sabha and the state legislatures were intended to receive this reservation, hence the bill for women’s reservation was created as a long-term plan.
Regarding the Bill The main goal of the bill is to give women 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies. Throughout a state or union territory, these reserved seats may be distributed among various constituencies in a rotating fashion. The provision of seats for women will end 15 years after the start of this Amendment Act, which is significant.
The Global Gender Gap Report for 2021’s most recent findings emphasise the urgent necessity for such a legislative action. The political empowerment index for India has dropped by 13.5 percentage points, and the proportion of female ministers has decreased from 23.1% in 2019 to just 9.1% in 2021. The disturbingly low participation of women in the Lok Sabha and legislative bodies of states has been highlighted by the government’s Economic Surveys.
Significance of Women’s Political Empowerment:
Women’s political empowerment is based on unwavering ideals that prioritise equality, the full realisation of women’s potential, and their right to self-determination and self-representation. In addition to advancing gender equality, closing the divide between men and women in the political process will encourage young girls to participate in nation-building.
The Way Forward
Institutions under the Panchayati Raj have been crucial in advancing women’s representation at the local level. A 50% reservation for female candidates in forthcoming contests has already been adopted in a number of states. However, party-level restructuring is also essential. Despite matter what happens with the Women’s Reservation Bill, political parties should work to develop internal mechanisms that encourage the entry of women into politics.
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