Jun 11 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
What Women Want
Before next Parliament session, Modi must solidify support for women's reservation Bill
Like the Nirbhaya tragedy two years ago, the Badaun rape-murders have galvanised national outrage. In both cases statements by politicians, reiterating instead of rejecting traditional misogyny, have been sadly out of sync with public sentiment. But change is on the horizon. Giving voice to the new government’s priorities, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday spelled out a commitment to 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Rolling out the women’s reservation Bill will send a very powerful, consequential signal of women’s empowerment.In the 2014 election campaign the issue of women’s welfare rose to ground-breaking prominence, in part because female voters outnumbered male counterparts in many states. Unfortunately increase in female turnout isn’t matched by increase in female candidates. Leaders across the political spectrum – including Brinda Karat, Jayanthi Natarajan and Sushma Swaraj – have emphasised that entrenched patriarchy rules the roost even in ticket distribution.
When UPA tried to pass the women’s reservation Bill, intransigent parties like SP carried much more weight. But the legislative landscape has shifted. Not only is the NDA government stronger, on this issue it can count on Sonia Gandhi’s support. Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee would be sympathetic, as would the Left. So the odds of passing this longmothballed legislation have never been as strong as now. This is a chance that must not be missed.
We are not votaries of reservations across the board. For example, rather than caste quotas for education and jobs, it’s better to have universalisation of school education of a decent standard, along with expansion of higher education with scholarships for poor students. But the women’s reservation Bill is a special case, for two reasons. One, the appalling extent of misogyny in the country that ensures, for example, that sex ratios get skewed or that rape of women and girls in Badaun is a routine affair without check from authorities. This wouldn’t be possible if a lot of politicians were women. Two, it’s an issue of political representation rather than merit. One isn’t talking about recruiting aircraft pilots or surgeons, so there can’t be any question of lowering of standards if one abandons merit-based criteria – commonsensical qualities rather than technical skills are pertinent. On the heels of an election campaign where many political parties said they were committed to women’s empowerment, it’s now incumbent on them to walk the talk and pass the Bill.
When UPA tried to pass the women’s reservation Bill, intransigent parties like SP carried much more weight. But the legislative landscape has shifted. Not only is the NDA government stronger, on this issue it can count on Sonia Gandhi’s support. Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee would be sympathetic, as would the Left. So the odds of passing this longmothballed legislation have never been as strong as now. This is a chance that must not be missed.
We are not votaries of reservations across the board. For example, rather than caste quotas for education and jobs, it’s better to have universalisation of school education of a decent standard, along with expansion of higher education with scholarships for poor students. But the women’s reservation Bill is a special case, for two reasons. One, the appalling extent of misogyny in the country that ensures, for example, that sex ratios get skewed or that rape of women and girls in Badaun is a routine affair without check from authorities. This wouldn’t be possible if a lot of politicians were women. Two, it’s an issue of political representation rather than merit. One isn’t talking about recruiting aircraft pilots or surgeons, so there can’t be any question of lowering of standards if one abandons merit-based criteria – commonsensical qualities rather than technical skills are pertinent. On the heels of an election campaign where many political parties said they were committed to women’s empowerment, it’s now incumbent on them to walk the talk and pass the Bill.
