Various government-departments, public-sector-undertakings and others like previous years have fulfilled formality of celebrating International Women Day on 08.03.2017 apart from some other gimmicks like all-women flights, all-women bank-branches etc. But all this can never give Indian women their justified right with bosses of many political parties united together to deny legitimate right of women for 33-percent reservation in legislature even despite that fact that political parties openly supporting women-reservation-bill have more than three-fourth strength in both Houses of Parliament separately. Political parties opposing women-reservation cry for reservation on man-made aspects like religion and cast evidently for vote-bank politics, but oppose reservation to women which still remain dominated section of society created by nature in our male-dominated political system. There should be uniform 33-perecent reservation for women at all stages from civic bodies to Parliament rather than having 50-percent at lower levels.
It is a matter of record that Prime Minister Narender Modi who cheered Mozambique Parliament having 93 out of 250 women Parliamentarians, silently listened to strong advocacy on the matter by both President and Vice President at inaugural session of high-level conference of women legislators on 5.03.2016 in New Delhi summoned for the first time by Lok Sabha Speaker. Since not all the bills are passed by consensus, it is totally unjustified to hold the bill in name of never-to-be-achieved consensus,
India ranks 109 amongst 193 global nations in terms of women Parliamentarians which is just 12-percent against global-average 22.7-percent with Rwanda having maximum 63.8-perecnt women Parliamentarians. Islamic world including Pakistan and many other democratic countries including fresh democracy in Nepal have adopted Women-Reservation in legislature.
Best is to adopt Election Commission’s formula to make it compulsory for every political party to give at least 33-percent party-tickets to women. However it should be ensured that such distribution may be state-wise rather than on country-basis. Otherwise parties will fulfil formality of women-quota by giving all tickets from reserved quota to women in states with no base of the concerned party. However to prevent wives or other relations and associates being misused as proxy of male politicians, there should be a system whereby name or photo of husband or any other relation may not be permitted in election-campaigns of women.
MADHU AGRAWAL