Women’s Reservation Bill 108th Constitutional Amendment
Source: PRS
GS II: Governance;
Overview
- News in Brief
- About the Bill
- Challenges
Why in the News?
The Union government introduced a Bill to provide one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the historic first legislation in the New Parliament House.
- The fine print ensures that the quota will not be implemented in next year’s general election.
News in Brief
- Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.
- Amid the debate in the Lok Sabha over the women’s reservation Bill, the Opposition parties stuck to their demand of a quota within a quota.
- The bill, once approved, will see the number of women MPs in Lok Sabha go up to 181 from the current 82.
- Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed in the Rajya Sabha during the Congress regime under Manmohan Singh, was still pending.
History of the Bill
- First introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1996 by the Deve Gowda-led United Front government.
- Failed to get the approval of the House and was referred to a joint parliamentary committee.
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government reintroduced the Bill in Lok Sabha in 1998.
- This bill also failed to get support and lapsed again.
- Reintroduced in 1999, 2002 and 2003 ut failed.
- Manmohan Singh-led UPA government tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2008
- It was passed in 2010.
- However, the Bill was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.
About the Bill
- The Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008 seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.
- The allocation of reserved seats shall be determined by such authority as Parliament prescribes.
- Allocation
- Reserved seats may be allotted by rotation to different state or union territory constituencies.
- Reservation of seats for women shall cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of this Amendment Act.
- Amendment
- It introduces new articles 330A and 332A in the Constitution to effect these changes.
- 330A: Reservation for women in Lok Sabha – 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the Lok Sabha shall be reserved for women.
- 332A: Reserved seats for women in every state Legislative Assembly, 1/3rd of seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of total seats to be filled by direct elections to the LA shall be reserved for women
- New clause in 239AA
- Seats shall be reserved for women in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, 1/3rd of the seats reserved for SCs shall be reserved for women, 1/3rd of total number of seats to be filled by direct elections shall be reserved for women through law determined by parliament
Challenges
- Resistance to Change
- Traditional patriarchal attitudes still prevail in many parts of India.
- There is resistance to giving women a more significant role in politics, which can manifest as social and cultural barriers.
- Political Opposition
- Some political parties and leaders oppose the idea of women’s reservation on political grounds, fearing that it could disrupt their established power structures and calculations.
- Implementation Issues
- Implementing reservation policies effectively at the grassroots level can be challenging.
- There is a need for a robust system to identify constituencies, rotate reserved seats, and ensure compliance.
- Tokenism
- There’s a concern that merely reserving seats for women without addressing broader gender issues might lead to token representation.
- Ensuring that reserved seats translate into meaningful participation and influence is essential.
- Backlash
- In some cases, the introduction of reservation policies has triggered a backlash from male political leaders who may feel threatened by the changing dynamics.
- Intersectionality
- Reservations often don’t consider other dimensions of diversity, such as caste or religion.
- Women from marginalized backgrounds might still face significant challenges despite reservation.
- Limited Impact
- While increasing the number of women in politics is crucial, it’s not a panacea for gender-related issues.
- The impact of reservation policies on addressing broader gender disparities needs to be assessed.
- Lack of Political Will
- Implementation can be hampered by a lack of political will.
- Some politicians might use legal or administrative hurdles to avoid complying with reservation policies.
- Capacity Building
- To make the most of their political roles, reserved women candidates need adequate training and support, especially in areas where they might have limited prior political exposure.
- Changing Mindsets
- Ultimately, changing societal mindsets about women in politics is a long-term challenge.
- Reservation policies can be a catalyst, but broader cultural shifts are necessary for lasting change.
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