- Towards Equality Report 1974: women were turning into minority
- Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) Report 2023
- 40% MP’s had criminal cases.
- 25% MP’s had serious criminal cases pending against women.
- Global Gender Gap Report 2022: India 48th in 146 in Political Empowerment.
- Representation of women in Parliament:
- Lok Sabha - 14.94%
- Rajya Sabha - 14.05%
Key Features of the Bill
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Reservation for Women in Lower House:
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inserting Article 330A (Article 330 reservation of seats to SCs/STs in the Lok Sabha.)
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reserved seats for women may be allotted by rotation.
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In the seats reserved for SCs/STs, the Bill sought to provide one-third of the seats to be reserved for women on rotational basis.
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Reservation for Women in State Legislative Assemblies:
- introduces Article 332A
- one-third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs must be allocated for women
- one-third of the total seats filled through direct elections to the Legislative Assemblies.
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Reservation for Women in NCT of Delhi:
- New clause in 239AA.
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Commencement of Reservation:
- New article - 334A
- delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women.
- The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years.
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Rotation of Seats:
- Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation (law by Parliament.)
Arguments against the bill
- The current Bill does not provide women’s reservation in the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils.
- doesn’t specify the cycle of elections from which women will get their due share.
- sunset clause of 15 years.
- not providing quota within the quota, OBC reservation and minority recognition.