Legislative provision for Women’s Political Empowerment and Fact
Legislative provision for Women’s Political Empowerment and Fact
Dr. Shubhangi Rathi
Associate Professor,
Head of Dept. of Political Science,
Smt. P.K.Kotecha Mahila Mahvidyalaya, Bhusawal
Abstract:
Women’s empowerment means
that women should become so powerful and they can manage any challenged in
their life. Women should be able to satisfy her daily needs on her own. Women
representation in Indian parliament is dismally low if you compare it with
the number of candidates every year. Moreover, India ranks 110th in
the percentage of women MPs. Therefore, to increase participation of women in
Indian Parliament, reservation may be the path to represent the gender with 49%
population in India.
Introduction:
Women’s participation in mainstream
political activity has important implications for the broader arena of
governance in any country. Governance relates to a set of reservation rules,
institutions, and values that are involved in the management of state and
society. Governance institutions and processes include political parties,
parliaments, government and their interactions with society. But in India 58%
of women are still malnourished. The sad part is that Indians account for 25% of the maternal mortalities.
Hardly 60% of our women are educated. So reservation is necessary for women
empowerment and development of India.
Meaning of Women Empowerment:
Women’s empowerment means
that women should become so powerful and they can manage any challenged in
their life. Women should be able to satisfy her daily needs on her own. So she
becomes independent and earns her daily bread. Self-decision
regarding education, participation, mobility, economic
independency, public speaking, awareness and exercise of rights, political
participation and many more factors ensure women empowerment. Women realizing
that they have control of their lives. They don't need a guy to depend on. They
have a right chose to be with a guy. Women have the same fundamental
rights as men - free will, make decisions of their lives, and basically take
control to live their life the way they see fit. In short women
empowerment is the breaking of personal limitation. Now it is problem of women
reservation in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha
Women Representation in Parliament:
Several state elections are coming up. So are the
Parliamentary elections in 2014. How will women electoral contenders do this
time round? Well, one thing is clear; the statistical trend is in their favour,
globally as well as in India. Their numbers have been rising steadily over the
years. Let us look at the overall numbers of parliamentarians in the world first.
According to data maintained by
Inter-Parliamentary Union, which maintains a record of women Parliamentarians,
the world has only 20% women as political representatives as per following
figure. 10 years ago, women representation was 15.1%
World Women representation:
Interestingly, the United States has 17% women
representation while UK and China have 23% representation, respectively.
African countries like Rwanda and Andorra have the highest women representation
of 56% and 50%, respectively, followed closely by Cuba with 49% representation.
Finland
is statistically an ideal example among the top ten countries. There is 42%
representation of women in the legislature, there is no reservation and the
Gender Inequality Index places Finland at a favorably high rank.
Position
of India in Women Representation:
India’s ranking in the percentage of Women MPs
is110th. Percentages of Women MPs are 11%. In these parameters does
not present a very good picture. The scores for women Parliamentarians as well
as gender inequality are poor. China is one country which closely compares to
India for socio-economic and demographic analyses. There is electoral quota for
women in China. It is ranked 54 with 23% women in the national assembly. The
GII rank of China is 35.
Comparably, India, at present, has
only 11% women in the Lok Sabha, the popularly elected lower house of the
Parliament. The last general elections were held in 2009, and the present Lok
Sabha has the highest representation of women. Here’s a look at the data
for all the past general elections.
History
of Women Representation in Lok Sabha:
Starting 1957, an average of 232 women candidates has fought
elections for every Lok Sabha. Of this, 36 win. A winning percentage of
24% but a mere 7% representation in a house of 543 elected members. Almost
5,018 male candidates fight the elections, on an average, 494 win, a winning
percentage of 10%. Incidentally, women candidates are doing better than male
candidates – the winning percentage of women is more than double of men.
The
following graph gives an idea of the women candidates contesting, getting
elected and the winning percentage from 1957 till 2009.
From 1977
to 1996, the number of women contestants increased but there was a sharp 46%
drop in 1998. Incidentally, the period 1996-99 saw three general elections, one
in 1996, then in 1998 and in 1999 and a turbulent political phase with
caretaker Governments.
Another
major jump is noticed in 2009 by almost 36%. However, the winning percentage
looks dismal. After 1967, the winning percentage has reduced drastically by
46%, and since then has seen a decreasing trend.
Interpretation
on Representation:
The
analysis shows that women representation in Indian parliament is dismally
low if you compare it with the number of candidates every year. Moreover, India
ranks 110th in the percentage of women MPs. Therefore, to
increase participation of women in Indian Parliament, reservation may be the
path to represent the gender with 49% population in India.
Women’s
Reservation Bill of India, introduced in May 2008, proposed 33% reservation for
women in the Lok Sabha and all the state legislative assemblies. While
the Rajya Sabha passed the bill, the Lok Sabha, after much debate, has still
not voted on the bill.
Constitutional Reservation
for women in Local Government:
It is clear from a
comparative analysis that quotas for women in politics have not essentially
ensured higher equality. There is no simplistic explanation to the social and
cultural influences on the position of women in politics in a country. Quotas
have done their bit in securing equality for women in some nations. There are
also countries that have secured higher representation for women without
reservation in national politics. It has been 20 years since constitutional
quotas were introduced for women in local governments in India. The effects of
these quotas are still not visible in state and national governments in India.
From 5% in the first general elections to 11% women representatives in the
fifteenth Lok Sabha; how much better can we do in the coming national
elections?
Even before the 73rd Amendment,
which made 33% reservation for women mandatory in the country, women
in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra had been contesting elections and
participating in panchayats. The oldest known all-women panchayat that held
office was in Nimbut village in Pune district of Maharashtra (1963-68).
Karnataka had 25% reservation for its
two-tier panchayati raj system in 1987 that was replaced by the
constitutionally mandated 33% in 1993.
Three states -- Orissa, West Bengal
and Maharashtra -- conducted elections with 33% reservation for women
immediately after the 73rd Amendment.
Bihar was the first state to offer 50%
reservation for women in panchayats, in 2005, following which Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also announced 50% reservation,
to be implemented in the next panchayat election in early-2010. Kerala recently
announced 50% reservation for women in panchayats and other local bodies.
In most other states, women’s
representation is around 36.87% of the 28.18 lakh elected panchayat
representatives.
Fact of reservation:
·
For
opinion of reservation-
Here is no valid point till date which makes
any women unequal in comparison to a man. Giving reservation to women would
give them encouragement. They would not be recognized in
society as mere “domestic” workers. Reservation should not be given to treat
them superior; it should be given to help people understand that they are
equal. This is because, few communities in India still believe in “female feticide”.
The
reservation would lead to gender
equality in legislature, resulting in the empowerment of women as
a whole. We know that women have been deprived of equality in India. Thus women
reservation will help us to fight the abuse, discrimination, and inequality which
they suffer.
·
Against
opinion of reservation-
If women need to do
something for the society and country, there is no need for reservation. There
have been many great and famous women in politics that did what they
could for society. They didn’t any special reservation! Instead of
concentrating on reservation, the society can be improved by concentrating on
other ethical issues. Women may undoubtedly take advantage of reservation to
defend them. Although reservations should be encouraged and say “Great powers
come with great responsibility”, it should become a moral responsibility of
women to not misuse the same. Reservation would only help women of
the elitist groups to gain seats.
Conclusion:
Various political parties are against the reservation.
They fear that reserving 33.3 per cent seats are for women. Many of male
leaders may not get a chance to fight elections. We should see reservation as a
one-time chance given to women to show that they are much needed as part and
parcel of the governance bodies. Reservation is required so that we have a
better future as a society, with women playing an equally important role, but only until the barriers for
women’s entry into politics are removed. It means to Empower India as a nation, and
not just Empower Women
References:
1.
Election Commission of India- Online
available at www.eci.gov.in/
2. Ghosh
, Jayati (1999),Women in Indian Politics, Frontline, October 8, 1999
3. Kaushik
Susheela, (1993) Women’s Participation in Politics, Vikas, New Delhi
4. Mazumdar,
Vina (1998), Women: From Equality to Empowerment, in Karlekar,
5. Ranjana
Kumari ,(1994), Women Parliamentarians, Haranand Publications, New Delhi
7.
Source: The Hindu, March 9,
2011, http://www.pri.net.in/statewise_reservation.php, March 2011
Best post i am first time read this type in my life. there is no doubt that women require women empowerment in madhya pradesh but women also has power to manage the world.
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