New Delhi, September 25, 2023 – In a momentous turn of events, both houses of India’s Parliament passed the long-awaited Women’s Reservation Bill during a special session earlier this week. This development, while surprising to many, marks the culmination of a protracted and storied history surrounding gender representation in Indian politics.
The Women’s Reservation Bill had its roots in a 2021 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the National Federation of Indian Women in the Supreme Court. The PIL sought the reinstatement of a bill proposing the reservation of 33 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies for women. For two years, the government remained silent, drawing rebukes from the Supreme Court for its inaction on a matter that “concerns all of us.”
The origins of this historic legislation can be traced back to the Constituent Assembly in 1949, comprising a mere 15 women among its 389 members. Notably, some women members, like Renuka Ray, expressed reservations, fearing that such measures might inadvertently exclude women from consideration for general seats. Likewise, some male members, including H.V. Kamath, questioned whether women were more led by their hearts, with politics being a matter of the mind.
By 1996, the underrepresentation of women in Parliament became glaringly evident, with only 6.5 percent of Lok Sabha’s 543 members being women. It was becoming apparent to women parliamentarians that the “gentleman’s agreement” made during the republic’s inception had not lived up to its promise.
The journey to gender parity in Indian politics was marked by several legislative attempts, including the 81st Constitutional Amendment Bill, introduced in 1996, which sought to establish a 33 percent reservation for women. However, the bill faced staunch opposition, with concerns raised about the capability of women and the absence of reserved seats for women from backward caste communities. The bill lapsed repeatedly, between 1998 and 2003, before the UPA government reintroduced it in the Rajya Sabha in 2008.
Despite numerous challenges, the Women’s Reservation Bill has now emerged triumphant, following decades of proposals, setbacks, stagnation, and advocacy.
While India currently boasts a higher number of women Members of Parliament (MPs) than most other countries, their representation remains at just 14 percent, well below the global average of 26.5 percent. Several Asian nations, such as the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and South Korea, have surpassed this global average, with some reserving as much as 50 percent of seats for women.
The path to implementing women’s reservation in India will require time, during which critical questions will need addressing, including the absence of reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minority women. Additionally, the bill’s potential impact on the politically sensitive delimitation process remains a topic of concern.
The near-unanimous passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha signals a consensus among parliamentarians about the principle, but the practical implementation may prove to be a challenging endeavor. The historic legislation promises to reshape India’s political landscape, bringing about greater gender parity in its democratic institutions.
