Is the ball now in women’s court?| Cathnews India

Published Date: March 15, 2010

Tags: gender justice, women in Church, Women's reservation bill

Is the ball now in women’s court? thumbnail

Virginia Saldanha

As the dust and excitement over the passage of the Wome Reservation bill past its first hurdle settles, its flaws are coming into sharper focus, writes Virginia Saldanha, former executive secretary of the FABC Office of Laity and Family.

Political parties that supported the bill in the Upper House will probably not support it in the Lower House without some more drama and changes to eliminate the two major flaws, she says in the following commentary she wrote for UCA News.

Her commentary follows.

The passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill by the Upper House of parliament in India is a small but nonetheless significant step for the realization of women’s political rights.

As the dust and excitement over the passage of the bill past its first hurdle settles, its flaws are coming into sharper focus. What is described as a fatal flaw is the principle of reservation based on rotation of constituencies reserved for women in every election.

Long standing members of parliament could be uprooted from a constituency they have carefully nursed over the years. It will not allow women candidates to build their credibility in any one constituency. Women would always be pitched against women and 33 percent would be a capped number of women present in parliament and legislative bodies.

Another major concern has been voiced by those representing an important section of the population coming under the scheduled castes, tribes and other backward classes, as well as the Muslim electorate who already have reservations in parliament.

They object that the bill obliges them to accommodate women in 33 percent of their current reserved seats. They demand an allotment of additional reservations for women falling in these categories to be included in the bill.

The opposition is now wary of the political mileage received by the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, especially the Congress party, with the passage of the bill in the Upper House the day after International Women’s Day.

Political parties that supported the bill in the Upper House will probably not support it in the Lower House without some more drama and changes to eliminate the two major flaws.

While politicians play their games, women have to seize the opportunity of the moment and try to move ahead. The ball is now in our court!

Taking up the challenge

When the idea of reservation was first mooted, there was a fear that not having enough competent women to enter the election fray, parties would install female proxies who are relatives of party members.

Given the socialization of women in India, it is possible that such women would never think of opposing their husbands or other male relatives when it comes to taking a stand on issues concerning women. So reservation of seats for women would not really benefit women.

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