Central Idea

Political empowerment of women in India faces challenges despite the 2023 women reservation Act, with recent Assembly elections showing inadequate efforts by political parties to field more women candidates.

Key Highlights:

• Two routes for women’s political empowerment: legislative reservation and quotas within political parties.
• Examples from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan using legislative reservation.
• Countries like Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Sweden achieve women’s representation without legislatively-backed quotas.
• In India, the 2023 Act reserves 33% seats for women in State Assemblies and Parliament.
• Despite the Act, recent Assembly elections show insufficient commitment from political parties.

Key Challenges:

• In Madhya Pradesh, BJP and Congress fielded 28 and 30 women candidates, respectively, out of 230 seats after the Act.
• Telangana sees minimal increase, with BJP and Congress fielding 12 women candidates each out of 119 seats.
• No party in any state reaches the mandated 33% mark for women candidates.
• Despite innovative moves like Congress reserving 40% seats in UP in 2022, overall progress is lacking.
• TMC’s success in Odisha and West Bengal suggests regional parties are more proactive in women’s political representation.

Key Facts and Data:

• Act passed in Lok Sabha with significant majority, only two opposing members.
• In Uttar Pradesh 2022 elections, Congress reserved 40% seats for women, a bold move.
• BJD and TMC’s success in Odisha and West Bengal elections with more women candidates.

Critical Analysis:

• The Act, though commendable, looks good on paper due to its linkage with delimitation after 2026.
• Regional parties like TMC have shown commitment and won with more women candidates, questioning the reluctance of national parties.

Way Forward:

• National and regional parties need to demonstrate genuine commitment to women’s political empowerment by increasing the number of women candidates.
• Learning from the success of regional parties like TMC, other political entities should actively promote and support women in politics.
• Continuous monitoring and public discourse can encourage political parties to fulfill their commitment to women’s representation.

While the enactment of the 2023 women reservation Act is a positive step, recent Assembly elections reveal a gap between legislation and action, with political parties showing reluctance to genuinely empower women in politics. Continuous efforts and monitoring are crucial for bridging this gap and ensuring meaningful representation.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now