[The Magical Number 33] Published on 27 March 2010, "The Perceptive Mind" Magazine, Chennai.

                Life has almost come to a full circle for women. Women are already there in all fields and are leading in some fields like Education, Sports etc., which is almost proven year after year. Hence, it is time to help them to achieve some sort of status in our political system too. An International Labour Organisation study shows that "while women represent 50 percent of the world adult population and a third of the official labour force, they perform nearly two-third of all working hours, receive a tenth of world income and own less than one percent of world property." Therefore, reservation for women is not a bounty but only an honest recognition of their contribution to social development. After so much struggles and debates, finally the Women Reservation Bill has been cleared. Though, we are made to wait for such a long period but worth its gold to hear something in favour of women. Of course, this only made me to write this Article and I strongly believe here that it ought to be written instead of a woman.

“The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world”, said Lao-Tsu, over thousands of years ago. This still holds good. Especially when considering the success in passing the Women Reservation Bill. Though these women have faced several predicaments both before and during the battle, they have emerged victorious thus exhibiting the truth Lao Tsu’s statement.

The proposed legislation to reserve 33.3 percent seats in Parliament and state legislatures for women was drafted first by the H D Deve Gowda-led United Front government. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 12, 1996. Though it has been introduced in Parliament several times since then, the Bill could not be passed because of lack of political consensus. The logic behind this bill is to provide Reservation for women at each level of legislative decision-making, starting with the Lok Sabha, down to state and local legislatures. If the Bill is passed, one-third of the total available seats would be reserved for women in national, state, or local governments. In continuation of the existing provisions already mandating reservations for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes, one-third of such SC and ST candidates must be women.

We call India a democratic country. The real test of democracy is the creation of equality of opportunity for the hitherto deprived sections of the society. In the context of the present discussion, it amounts to shedding all mental reservation against reservation of seats for women in the parliament and in assemblies. The long awaited women reservation bill, which seeks to reserve 1/3^rd of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and in the state legislative assemblies, was given the green signal by the members of the Rajya Sabha on 9^th March 2010.

Right since inception, the bill has been hanging fire with the political parties sharply divided over a quantum of reservation and the caste and tribe configurations of the reservation though the bill in itself is essential for the active participation of women in general. Moreover, opponents to this bill argue that reservation would only help women of elitist groups to gain political power, aggravating the plight of the poor and deprived sections. Although its proponents say it would lead to gender equality in Parliament resulting in the empowerment of women as a whole. Historically, the Bill's supporters say, women are deprived in India. Moreover increased political participation of women will help them fight the abuse, discrimination, and inequality they suffer from.

In the 2009 general election, 544 candidates were elected to the 15th Lok Sabha. Only 59 of them are women i.e. a meagre 10.8% represent nearly 50% of the population and this has hovered between 7% and 11% still after 63 years of Independence. Even though the percentage is very small in number, women are able to shine e.g. Ex. Prime minister Ms Indira Gandhi, UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi, Honourable President of India Ms. Pratibha Patil, Railway Minister Ms. Mamta Banerjee, Selvi J. Jayalalitha Ex. Chief Minister.

If 33% reservation is achieved, not only will it displace a well-entrenched class of male politicians, it will create an army of a new breed of women political activists who can bring in empowerment to the dilapidated political system of our country. Also, this concept is going to create more number of women leaders. Sweden, South Africa, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Wales and even when the so called backward and fundamentalist society like Pakistan can grant 33% or more reservation to women in its Senate then why should India, the largest democracy in the world be indecisive.  

Barriers for the expected results:

  ·         The reality is that, the effect of the bill will take much time; somewhere around 2-3 years. In our country, it may also not be put into proper or desired practice due to some corrupted politicians.

·         “Will a male dominated society rise up and help in implementation?” is also a serious and reasonable concern which needs to be addressed.

·         General mentality is that, “Rules are always meant to be broken” by the way of finding loop holes and making the women as a ‘Dummy power’ or ‘Rubber Stamp’.

If it is possible to break all these barriers then the bill can really be expected to uplift women.

Booker T Washington once said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which he has overcome”. The women have surmounted a difficult entry into the political sphere. The demands on their health, sexual harassment, living conditions, family support, educational requirements and their empowerment are the various facets of their lives this Women Reservation Bill is expected to have a say in. We hope that this bill propagate the requirements of the women and helps to encourage future generations of women to step beyond the boundaries into the less known and discover the magnificence that lies beyond.