Cameraperson: Abhay Sharma
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
The Women’s Reservation Bill, in its present form after the 108th Amendment, seeks to reserve 33 percent of all seats in governing bodies at the Centre, State and Local level for women.
The bill was first introduced in Parliament by the HD Deve Gowda government in 1996 – but no government till date has been able to pass it in the Lok Sabha. The bill has received acceptance only in the Rajya Sabha, thus far.
The Bill’s journey witnessed a historic moment in 2010 when three women from rival parties – Sonia Gandhi, Brinda Karat and Sushma Swaraj – stood united against the three Yadavs – Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav, who have all, till date, been in opposition to the Bill.
A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi sought the Prime Minister's support for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 17 July, wrote back to Gandhi suggesting that the Congress and the BJP join hands to also get the bills prohibiting Triple Talaq and Nikah Halala passed in Parliament.
Has the Bill’s halted progress been the result of a dearth of political will, or naked patriarchy? What do you think is behind the deadlock over the Women's Reservation Bill for over 20 years? Here are some comments from our politicians over the years regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill.
1997: Sharad Yadav, Former Janata Dal (United) President
“Kya parkati auratein hamari mahilayon ki suraksha kar sakte hai?” (Do you think these short-haired liberated women can speak for our rural women?)
2010: Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party Founder
“The ones who get elected through the Women's Reservation Bill will be the wives and daughters of officers and businessmen, the kind who get whistled at.”
But wait, he had more.
In 2012, he said:
“Remember, only wives and daughters of affluent families can benefit from the Women’s Reservation Bill. Our rural women cannot get elected as MPs because they are not attractive.”
2010: Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal President
“The present form of Women's Reservation Bill can only be passed in the Lok Sabha over my dead body. We want reservation within reservation. The Bill must include reservation for Muslim women, women from backward classes and Dalits.”
2010: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister
“We support the Bill but the grievances of Muslim women must not be ignored.”
2010: Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief
“I seek reservation for women belonging to the Dalit, Backward Classes, religious minorities and the poor upper castes within the proposed 33 percent for women in Parliament and Assemblies. At the same time, the existing system of 22 percent reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should not be disturbed.”
2014: Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister
“The Modi government is all for empowering women. When the chief minister seat in Gujarat fell vacant, we gave it to a woman, Anandiben Patel. Six of the 23 members in the cabinet are women. When the first woman speaker in Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, vacated the post of speaker, we offered it to another dignified woman like Sumita Mahajan. We must empower women politically.”
The impasse continues to this day. Will the Women’s Reservation Bill ever get off the ground?
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