2023-09-22 10:36:57
Is India becoming the strongest democracy in the world with women’s participation in democracy? Undoubtedly, India through the 128th constitutional amendment is ensuring maximum participation of women in law making. Last day, the Lok Sabha passed the bill with the support of political parties in response to the outcry across the country for more than two decades.
Women’s reservation for public representation is the pride of 70 crore women in the country. By reserving 33 percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies for women, India will also hold the record for having the highest number of women representatives in the world. In the 544-member Lok Sabha, 178 members are women, while 1375 women are members out of 4123 members in all legislative assemblies.
Representative image by: SAJJAD HUSSAIN / AFP)
28 women from Scheduled Castes and 16 Scheduled Tribes women in the Lok Sabha will be a new history with the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill. There are 78 women in the current Lok Sabha.
∙ Rwanda and Cuba; Small country, big mind
If we implement 33 percent reservation for women only following 75 years of independence, it is noteworthy that in many countries of the world, half of the people’s representatives are women. The country that took the most liberal approach in making women representatives is still the poor African country of Rwanda. 61.3 percent of Rwandan parliamentarians are women. 49 people out of 80. After Rwanda, the communist country of Cuba has the highest number of female parliamentarians, with 53.4 percent of parliamentarians being women. 322 people out of 605.
Women Members of the Rwandan Parliament. (Photo courtesy: UN Women Africa)
It is noteworthy that in the countries of Nicaragua, New Zealand, Mexico and the Gulf country UAE, 50 percent of parliamentarians are women. But it should also be remembered that all these countries are small countries with an average population of only one crore. In the 500-member Mexican parliament, 241 (48.2 percent), 229 (39.7 percent) in France’s 577-member parliament, 225 in Italy’s 630-member parliament, and 212 in Ethiopia’s 547-member parliament.
∙ Women’s row in Britain without reservation
In Britain, considered to be the sanctuary of democracy, the 647-member House of Commons has now won 223 women without any reservation (34 percent). It is noteworthy that women have made such progress in Britain following 2010. Until then, women’s representation was only 18 percent, while in the US there are 78 women in the House of Representatives (23.6 percent.) and in Canada there are 60 women members – 29.6 percent. Iceland (47.6), Costa Rica (47.4), South Africa (46.5), Andorra (46.4) and Sweden (46.4) make up the top 10 countries with the highest number of female members. Germany has the highest representation among developed countries, with 219 women out of 709 (30.8 percent).
Women members coming out of the British Parliament. (File Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP)
In Communist China, the number of women members of the National Assembly has steadily increased over the past 10 years. There are 743 women in the 2980-member assembly. The membership was 21.32 percent in 2012 and reached 24.93 percent in 2023. In Russia, the representation of women is 71 out of 450 (16.5) percent. In Australia there are 45 women out of 150 while in Singapore it is 23 percent. Although underdeveloped, most African countries ensure better representation of women in legislatures. Meanwhile, in the world’s smallest countries, 2 out of 16 Palau, 2 out of 19 in Nauru, and 2 out of 15 in St. Kitts are women. In Israel, 35 women out of 120 are in the parliament.
∙ Gulf countries gave opportunity to women. Bangladesh with reservation
Women’s participation in governance is increasing in many Gulf countries. In the UAE, women’s reservation is 50 percent. 27.5 percent of ministers are women. Saudi Arabia has included 30 women in its 150-member parliament. In Oman, 15 out of 167 members of Parliament are women. Kuwait, where women won the right to vote only in 2005, now has only one woman in the legislature. Four people have already won. In Qatar, the ruler has nominated 4 women in the 45-member council. In our neighboring country Pakistan, 69 members of the 342-member National Assembly are women, while in another neighboring country, Bangladesh, there are 72 women out of 348 in the Parliament. 50 seats have been reserved for women in Bangladesh for years.
Bangladesh Parliament Building. (File Photo by Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP)
Nepal surprises us. There are 197 women in the 575 member parliament. But in Nepal, where democracy is always uncertain, there has been no significant change with this woman’s advance. Despite being a country that has contributed many female rulers including the world’s first female Prime Minister, very few women have reached the Parliament in Sri Lanka. Last time 6 people won. It is interesting to note that Bhutan has 7 women members out of 47 members of parliament, while only 16 out of 290 members in Iran’s parliament, Majilis Shura, are currently women.
∙ Women are always ahead in India
India is a country where women have reached high positions of power without reservation for women in the country. The country has had Prime Minister, President, Speaker of Lok Sabha and many governors and chief ministers. There were hundreds of Lok Sabha members and legislators.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. (File Photo by AFP)
Indira Gandhi, who became a world-watched leader half a century ago, ruled the country as Prime Minister for a long time. At the same time, it is now special that a woman President is lucky enough to approve the Women’s Reservation Bill. Draupadi Murmu, the second woman President following the first woman President Pratibha Patil, has been given this historic appointment.
It is also history that women have led the Lok Sabha twice. Meera Kum is the first woman speaker. After that, Sumitra Mahajan also became the speaker of the Lok Sabha, making women proud. Soon following independence, the country honored Vanitha by making her the governor. On 15th August 1947, Saroji Naidu became the Governor of UP.
Later, many women were made governors. Now Anusuya Yuki in Manipur, Anandiban Patel in Uttar Pradesh and Tamizhai Soundarrajan in Telangana are women governors. 28 women have been governors so far.
∙ Those 16 are women chief ministers
Many women reached the post of Chief Minister. But political parties have not been able to make women Chief Ministers in most of the states. So far 16 women have been Chief Ministers. Sucheta Kripalani, who became the Chief Minister of UP in March 1963, became the first woman Chief Minister to write Chiritram. Mamata Banerjee is currently the only woman Chief Minister of Bengal. Jayalalitha (Tamil Nadu), Nandini Satpathy (Odisha), Sasikala Kakodkar (Goa), Mayawati (UP), Rabri Devi (Bihar), Uma Bharati (Madhya Pradesh), Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan) and Sheila Dixit (Delhi) are the longest-serving women chief ministers.
First woman Speaker of Lok Sabha Meera Kumar, first woman President Pratibha Patil, Chief Minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee. (Manorama Online Creative) (Photos by AFP)
Janaki Ramachandan (Tamil Nadu 23 days), Sushma Swaraj (Delhi 52 days) and Anwara Taimur (Assam – 206 days) are the women who have adorned the title of Chief Minister for the shortest time. Many women have become Union Ministers. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur is India’s first woman cabinet minister. Today there are 11 women ministers in the Union Cabinet. The fact that almost every state has at least one woman minister without any reservation indicates the success of our democracy and the success of the tripartite approach of political parties.
At the same time, despite being far ahead in terms of social policy and literacy, Kerala has not yet been ruled by a woman Chief Minister. With every election approaching, rumors regarding a woman chief minister rise. KR The names of Gauriamma and Sushila Gopalan were discussed years ago but did not materialize.
English Summary: Women’s Reservation Bill and History of Female Representation in Many Countries Over the Years Explained
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