Women Representation In Parliament

In Context

At present ,the number of women representatives in parliament is still considerably small.

About 

• India held its first Parliamentary session in 1952 with 39 strong, intelligent, and passionate women leaders challenging a centuries-old tide of men’s dominance over the polity.

• At a time when women formed only 1.7% of the total members of the United States Congress and 1.1% of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, India was leading the way in the fight towards more inclusive world democracies with 5.5% women representation. 

• Despite an encouraging start in the 1950s in inclusivity, its discourse, communication and laws now are a concern

Reasons Low Participation Of Women 

• Lack of Neutral acts 

  • In the last decade, there have hardly been any gender-neutral Acts. 

    • Acts have made references to women not as leaders or professionals (such as policemen), but usually as victims of crimes.

• Lack of confidence and finance: They were the other major deterring factors that prevented women from entering politics.
• Illiteracy: It is one of the main hurdles in making women politically empowered. Women candidates have less education and experience, on average, compared to male candidates
• Gender Disparities: Gender inequalities in terms of education, ownership of resources and continual biassed attitudes still act as barriers for women leaders.
• Societal and cultural norms:They are imposed on women bar them from entering politics.
  • They have to accept the dictates imposed on them and bear the burden of society.
• Sexual division of labour: A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family or organised by them through the domestic helpers. 
  • It means that women spend far more time than men in the home- and child-care.
• Slander and abuse: This is one of the main reasons that women stay away from contesting elections which they face during campaigns. The other reason cited is lack of safety.
• Not gender neutral language
  • In the Rajya Sabha, the Rules of Procedure continue to refer to the Vice-President of India as the ex-officio Chairman, stemming from the lack of gender-neutral language in the Constitution of India. 

• The alarming degree of usage of masculine pronouns assumes a power structure biassed towards men.

Safeguards available and Government’s efforts in this direction

• The Women’s Reservation Bill( 2008)(108th amendment) has also been introduced in the national Parliament to reserve 33 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats for women
• In addition to this, Article 46 imposes a duty on the state to protect weaker sections from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. 
• Article 14, which established the right to equality as a fundamental right, inevitably mandates for equal opportunity, which is reflected in Article 15(3)
• India is a signatory to the Convention for Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which obliges states to take appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in political and public life and, in particular, to ensure that women are as eligible as men to contest elections to all public bodies.
  • They have the right to participate in contributing to government policy and its implementation.
• Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is binding on signatory states including India, says that “every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections 

• In 2014, under the leadership of the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha were made entirely gender neutral. 

  • Since then, each Lok Sabha Committee Head has been referred to as Chairperson in all documents. This initiative is proof that amending legal documents to make them inclusive for all genders is an attainable goal if there is a will.

Conclusion & Way Forward 

• Equal participation of men and women is not only a prerequisite for justice and democracy, it is an inevitable condition for harmonious human existence as well. 
• The issue of gender-based violence and provision of safety and security of women should also be addressed on a priority basis to promote gender equality in the social and political arenas.
• It is the need of the hour in a country like India to have equal participation of all the sections of society in mainstream political activity therefore necessary steps should be taken to promote it.
• Considering legally-backed youth and women quotas reserved for youth and women or a specified proportion of young candidates all registered parties contesting an election must field.
  • Society needs to deconstruct the stereotype of women as limited to household activities only.

• In the 21st century, when people of all genders are leading the world with compassion, strength and ambitions, the Indian Parliament needs to reflect on its standing. 
  • Recognition and correction of past errors through amendments to rulebooks, laws, and the Constitution are just starting points, and must lead to sensitivity, equal treatment, and appreciation for the people of India, regardless of gender.