The Economic Survey 2018 called for more representation of women in decision making process in the country, saying their political participation has been low despite them accounting for 49 per cent of the population. An Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women report — Women in Politics 2017, revealed that 16th Lok Sabha had 65 (12 percent of 545 MPs) and Rajya Sabha 27 (11 per cent of 245 MPs) women MPs. 22 years since the initial proposal, the Women’s Reservation Bill remains out of reach

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Present situation of women’s political representation in India:

• India ranks 153 out of 190 nations in the percentage of women in the lower house of world parliaments.
• The Economic Survey 2018 said there are developing countries like Rwanda which has more than 60 per cent women representatives in Parliament in 2017.
• In India, between 2010 and 2017 women’s share rose 1 percentage point in its Lower House (Lok Sabha).
• As on October 2016, out of the total 4,118 MLAs across the country, only 9 per cent were women.
• The highest percentage of women legislators come from Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan (14%), followed by Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal (13%) and Punjab (12%).
• The factors such as domestic responsibilities, prevailing cultural attitudes regarding roles of women in society and lack of support from family were among main reasons that prevented them from entering politics.
• Lack of confidence and finance were the other major deterring factors that prevented women from entering politics.
• Ahead of any election campaign in the country, sexist and derogatory remarks start doing the rounds against women contestants, in some cases forcing them to withdraw their nomination.
• The introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in 1996 that would reserve 33 percent of seats in Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies for women on a rotational basis, lapsed in 2014 with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.
• The constitution allocates total seats to states by population, the resultant women’s representation at 12% is far below the actual population of women. So, on grounds of fairness, this is an anomaly.

Enhancing women participation in parliament would ensure the upliftment of status of women:

• In 1994, India ratified the 73rd and the 74th amendments to the Indian Constitution, granting women 1/3 reservation in rural and urban democratic bodies.
• There are 13.72 lakh elected women representatives (EWRs) in PRIs (Panchayati Raj Institutions) which constitute 44.2 per cent of total elected representatives (ERs) as on December, 2017.
• Women sarpanchs accounted for 43 per cent of total gram panchayats (GPs) across the country, exhibiting active leadership of women in local government.
• There is documented evidence both at the international level and at the gram panchayat (village) level to suggest that a greater representation of women in elected office balances the process and prioritizations that elected bodies focus on.
• In terms of policy styles, for instance, the inclusion of women adds behind the scenes discussion rather than direct confrontation on the floor of the House.
• In terms of agenda (as measured in Rwanda), a wider range of family issues get tackled.
• Esther Duflo and Raghabendra Chattopadhyay (NBER Working Paper 8615) showed that in a randomised trial in West Bengal, women pradhans (heads of village panchayats) focus on infrastructure that is relevant to the needs of rural women, suggesting that at least at the local level outcomes can be different.
• The role model effect also erases the gender disparity in educational attainment of young girls.
• A study by IndiaSpend reported women panchayat leaders in Tamil Nadu invested 48 percent more money than their male counterparts in building roads and improving access.
• Another study by the United Nations found that women-led panchayats delivered 62 percent higher drinking water projects than those led by men.

Way forward:

• India should have an Election Commission-led effort to push for reservation for women in political parties.
• Reservation for women in political parties – a more viable option.
• Quotas for women in Parliament as envisaged in the Women’s Reservation Bill.
• Awareness, education and role modelling that encourage women towards politics and wipe out Gender stereotypes which perceive women as weak representatives.
• Inclusive economic institutions and growth—both necessary for and dependent on social empowerment—require inclusive political institutions.
• Women’s leadership and communication skills need to be enhanced by increasing female literacy especially in rural areas. They should be empowered in order to break socio-cultural barriers and improve their status in the society.

Conclusion:

B.R. Ambedkar once said that “political power is the key to all social progress”. Ensuring proportional representation to women in parliament is seen by policy makers as a panacea to the issues surrounding women empowerment. Recognising the significance of roles of women in decision making process in the society is critical to strengthen women’s agencies for building a progressive society with equality of opportunities among all citizens. Male politicians must take a lead role in challenging traditions which foster inequality and also unequivocally condemn the misogynistic language that their counterparts use when it comes to women.