NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning July 20, a coalition of women’s organisations and activists has demanded the “unconditional and immediate” implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures at their existing strength from the next round of elections.
Under the banner of the National Coalition for Women’s Reservation, the groups have urged the Centre to introduce a Constitutional Amendment Bill in the upcoming session to delink the implementation of women’s reservation from the census and delimitation exercise. They have also appealed to opposition parties to raise the issue in Parliament and support the proposed amendment.
Coalition members said they are reaching out to MPs across the country to seek support for their demands. They have announced nationwide demonstrations on July 20 and 21 and plan to hold daily dharnas at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Monday to Friday throughout the Monsoon Session. A national conference involving women MPs is also being planned.
The coalition comprises organisations including the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), YWCA, Indian Christian Women’s Movement, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Unity in Compassion, ANHAD and several activists associated with civil society campaigns, including transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj of Satark Nagrik Sangathan.
A statement issued by the coalition has been endorsed by more than 1,500 signatories, including activists, lawyers, academics, students, former civil servants and other citizens.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday, NFIW general secretary Annie Raja said women’s political representation should not be indefinitely delayed by linking it to “unrelated and politically contentious” processes such as the census and delimitation.
“We want the opposition to forcefully raise this demand in Parliament and press the government to introduce a Bill delinking women’s reservation from the census and delimitation. Women’s organisations have been meeting MPs across party lines, including BJP legislators, to emphasise the need to implement reservation at the current strength without further delay,” she said.
The coalition said the demand for one-third reservation in Parliament and state assemblies dates back three decades, noting that the first Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in 1996. While Parliament passed the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, it made implementation contingent upon a fresh census and subsequent delimitation.
The groups argued that, had these conditions not been imposed, one-third of the members of the current Lok Sabha would already have been women.
Accusing the government of linking women’s reservation to a politically contentious exercise, the coalition said the delay had undermined the objective of enhancing women’s representation. It noted that women currently account for less than 14% of Lok Sabha members, while their representation in state assemblies is around 10%.
Anjali Bhardwaj also called for greater transparency, saying that if the government intended to introduce legislation on delimitation, it should first place the proposal in the public domain for consultation, given its far-reaching implications.
“The promise of women’s representation continues to remain unfulfilled because reservation has been made conditional upon the census and delimitation. This prolonged delay reflects a persistent structural barrier to women’s political empowerment,” the coalition said in its statement.
Among those endorsing the appeal are actor Sharmila Tagore, dancer and activist Mallika Sarabhai, Syeda Hameed, Zakia Soman, Zoya Hasan, Shabnam Hashmi, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander, former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi and several other public figures.
