Women Representation In 19 State Legislatures Is Below 10%, Yet No Action On Women's Reservation Bill

Most women usually don't even enter politics considering the challenges they have to face. Few who get into politics find it hard to climb up. According to government data, Women's representation is below 15% in Parliament and most State Legislatures across the country, Also 19 State Assemblies have less than 10% women lawmakers. The strength of women MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha stands at 14.94% and 14.05%, respectively. 

The States having over 10% women lawmakers are Bihar (10.70%), Jharkhand (12.35%), Chhattisgarh (14.44%), Haryana (10%), Rajasthan (12%), Uttarakhand (11.43%), Uttar Pradesh (11.66%), West Bengal (13.70%), Delhi (11.43%), and Punjab (11.11%). The remaining 19 states, including Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have less than 10% women legislators, as per the data presented in Lok Sabha on December 9. 

8.2% of the elected representatives are women in recent Gujarat Assembly elections. Himachal Pradesh had only one woman elected this time. 

Women's Reservation Bill

The women MLAs in Assemblies across the nation account for only 8%. Trinamool Congress MP in Lok Sabha Abhishek Banerjee raised a question on the representation of women MPs and MLAs in Parliament and State legislatures. He also asked the Centre about the initiatives it has taken to increase its overall representation and touched upon the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.

Kiren Rijiju responded, "Gender justice is an important commitment of the government. All political parties need to carefully discuss this issue based on consensus before bringing the Constitution Amendment Bill before Parliament."

Other political parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Janata Dal United JD(U), and the Trinamool Congress also demanded to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.

SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also pointed out that the time has come to pass the Women's Reservation Bill and give women their long pending due. The bill seeks to reserve one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women. Initially, the bill was first introduced in Parliament in 1996. Earlier, it was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, however, lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.

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