The political participation of women is one of the most important requirements.dor the better position and opportunity for the women to put across their opinions, and points of view in matters related to their lives. Through this progress, they can be equally efficient in the home, career/ office and personal front. The greater number of women get representation. In authoritative positions, the more will there be scope for women to flourish in different fields.
Women’s reservation in the political field is one of the urgent needs for the uplift of women’s status and positions in society. The women’s reservation bill has been in process since 1996. The bill has been on the table several times from the time it was first introduced about three decades ago but the result remains uncertain. Except for the grassroots level, in the panchayatiraj and municipal bodies, the political participation of women has been limited in the upper political spheres such as State legislatures and the Parliament. It has been a long-standing demand for Women’s participation at the state and national level. There was one such attempt made in the year 2010 which again could not get passed in the Lok Sabha.
The women’s reservation bill has come up in the parliament several times in the past and now as the time has come again just before the national elections the matter is moving towards the goal. The major concern for which the whole ruckus has been about the protection of the quota that we want. There have been demands for 50% reservation fr women candidates in all the political parties and all the elections taking place – panchayat, municipalities, assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha. The question here is regarding any reservation bills other should not be the mindset of perfection becoming the foe to the good. Not that this perfect solution has not been implemented anywhere else in the past, but rather in many other countries like Rwanda, Sweden etc. This is not a utopian dream but the point to address is we have to bring up the political strength for half of the population of our country which is women. The true empowerment of women can occur when there is greater political participation of women and women are in decision-making positions.
As we see the current political scenario the intention of the ongoing government and the lawmakers seem to be targeting or emphasising the betterment of the women in political sphere, economic prosperity of women, physical empowerment of women and so on. The current government has been strategically winning over the issue of women and poverty in the country. So political empowerment is the next logical as well as urgent needed step. To give women political reservation us the initial step towards it.
