VIKAS
‘Empowering a women is a key to building a future we want’ Amartya Sen
On 20 September 2023, Lok Sabha had passed the historic women reservation bill as 128th Constitutional amendment act with a huge margin of 454 votes in favour and two against. On the very next day, the bill got passed in Rajya Sabha and became an act after receiving the assent of the President who herself a women on 29 September. The bill provides 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies of states and UTs only after the delimitation ( frozen till 2026) . The bill for women reservation was first introduced in 11th Lok Sabha under the coalition government headed by HD Devegoda and later in 1998 during Vajpayee’s government but the bill failed to get the approval of the house both the time. Later in 2008 UPA government had introduced the women reservation bill, it passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010 but was never introduced in lok Sabha and hence got lapsed after the expiration of 14th Lok Sabha. But 17th Lok Sabha fulfilled the long pending demand of reservation for women.
But the question is why the need of this reservation arises? The answer to this question is inequality, we live in a society where despite being the half of the population women are struggling to get their pie. On the political front, the patriarchal political system of India had never allowed the women to come to the forefront and occupy senior positions on party level as well as in cabinet ministries. We can cite here the example of 1960s when Indira Gandhi became the first female prime minister of India in 1996. The syndicates inside Congress party at that time used to call her ” Gungi Gudia”. But later that Gungi Gudia expelled them from the party and had won the upcoming election with a huge majority and taught them a lesson i.e. never undermine the Indian Women. Despite of equal struggle for freedom struggle, when constituent assembly was formed in 1946 there were only 15 women out of 389 members. In the first Lok Sabha (1952) there were only 22 female legislatures out 499 total strength. The percentage of female legislators in Lok Sabha had remained below 8% right from the first Lok Sabha to the 16th one, this shows how rational our political system is. Despite of having the sex ratio of 1020 females per thousand males ( National family Health Survey 2023), present Lok Sabha have only 14% of women MP’s and 10% in Rajya Sabha. Why Indian women are still under represented? The Problem lies in our patriarchal social structure, in which women were treated inferior right from the ancient times. The slangs and abuses in every nook and corner of our country are designated to females. We live in a country where Durga Puja is celebrated with utmost joice but the birth of a daughter is still a news of sorrow, where in every single hour, 49 women were either raped or tortured. There are problems it’s the time to look for the solution. There’s a need to amend IPC 376 (rape ) by adding more strict and rigorous punishment rather than just 7 to 10 years.
By giving reservation, we have ensured their political right to get elected, but on the social front there’s a lot more to do especially on women health. According to a survey conducted by Harvard University, women access to healthcare in India is the need of the hour as it requires some desperate changes to achieve well being and gender equality. Women’s disproportionate poverty, low socio-economic status, gender discrimination and reproductive role expose them to various diseases. Malnutrition is a serious health concern that threatens the survival of Indian mothers and their children, many women and teenage females experience iron deficiency or anemia due to menstruation. At least 70% of all reproductive disease in women leads to 40,000 cervical cancer deaths every year. Girls tend to miss six days of school a month on an average due to inability to manage their periods at school . This eventually contributes to almost 23% girls dropping out of schools on reaching puberty, which critically undermines their potential as individuals and future leaders. The government should take effective measures such as by establishing “sakhi dispensaries” in every village to provide a cheaper and better healthcare to our daughters and mothers, sanitary napkins must be available in these dispensaries on a subsidized rate, so that every women can afford it. Remember the offspring will be healthy only if our mothers are healthier.
On the economic front, we are living in age where we have a women finance minister but still Indian women are reluctant to participate whole heartedly in the economic development of the country, Indian women are designated as Annapurna, they know how prepare nutritious food even in meagre financial resources, they are the homemakers, no one can better manage the household budget as they do but there’s a need to make our Annapurnas economically independent. A reservation should be introduced in micro and small enterprises such as handicraft, handloom, khadi industry. There should be a wage board which ensures equal remuneration to both men and women. On village level, awareness campaigns should be started with the help of NGOs to encourage rural women to be independent economically.
As former General secretary of United Nations, Ban ki Moon had said “Gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys, it’s everyone’s responsibility”. There’s an immediate need to add gender studies in Indian school textbooks in order to prepare a better gender equal future for all of us where everyone have their say equally in governance as well in policy making irrespective of their gender. India is heading towards achieving the sustainable development goal of gender equality (2030) but along with political participation we should also focus on women health and education which is their right and we have to ensure that right.
(The writer is student of journalism and can be reached at bhagatv701@gmail.com).