Campaign Partner: NETRI Foundation
Women are leading the way in India - from G20’s agenda for women-led development to ISRO’s scientists behind the successful moon landing. Women’s participation in society at leadership positions is valuable because they represent the interests and experiences of 700 million women – nearly 50% of India’s population.
But for women to effectively lead development, they need to be a part of decision making institutions and processes, including the parliament and the state legislative assemblies.
As opposed to women constituting 46% of the elected representatives at the panchayati level in 2022 [1], only 14% members of the parliament were women. Over 76 years of India’s independence, women’s representation has increased only by 9% in our Parliament and Legislative Assembly! Within this barely 1.5% women MPs belong to the SC & ST communities and only 0.7% MPs are Muslim women.
As a result of inadequate representation of women in decision-making positions at the parliamentary level, issues such as women’s safety, women’s health and women’s agency largely remain side-lined in important discussions at the policy making level. NETRI Foundation’s startling report [2] sheds light on 4 key parameters - health, livelihood, violence, and agency- which are matters of urgent importance in the women's rights debate.
These issues do not get solved because nobody voices them in a gender-inclusive way in the parliament. These can only be addressed through higher representation of women in legislature and governments, argues NETRI in the report. Equal representation can help in ensuring that issues that concern women are not disregarded. For instance, a look at the data below shows the dismal state of women’s access to some fundamental rights.
1. Health, especially menstrual and reproductive health,
3/5 women have trouble accessing healthcare
2. Gender inclusive and sensitized workplaces,
Only 5/100 women have received employable skill training
There is no data that tracks implementation of PoSH across private, public and civil society and informal workplaces.
3. Violence against women,
1/3 reported crimes against women are of domestic violence
4. and financial and bodily agency
4/5 women do not have access to their own money.
To bring equal representation in action, join us in demanding that the Women's Reservation Bill be tabled and discussed in the Special Session of the Parliament taking place between 18th and 22th September 2023.
We are reaching out to MPs, MLAs, activists, and opinion makers amongst some other important figures who can advocate for a concrete discussion of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Special Session.
[1] Report on addressing the gender gap in adolescents' political interest & engagement in India
Campaign Partner: NETRI Foundation
Women are leading the way in India - from G20’s agenda for women-led development to ISRO’s scientists behind the successful moon landing. Women’s participation in society at leadership positions is valuable because they represent the interests and experiences of 700 million women – nearly 50% of India’s population.
But for women to effectively lead development, they need to be a part of decision making institutions and processes, including the parliament and the state legislative assemblies.
As opposed to women constituting 46% of the elected representatives at the panchayati level in 2022 [1], only 14% members of the parliament were women. Over 76 years of India’s independence, women’s representation has increased only by 9% in our Parliament and Legislative Assembly! Within this barely 1.5% women MPs belong to the SC & ST communities and only 0.7% MPs are Muslim women.
As a result of inadequate representation of women in decision-making positions at the parliamentary level, issues such as women’s safety, women’s health and women’s agency largely remain side-lined in important discussions at the policy making level. NETRI Foundation’s startling report [2] sheds light on 4 key parameters - health, livelihood, violence, and agency- which are matters of urgent importance in the women's rights debate.
These issues do not get solved because nobody voices them in a gender-inclusive way in the parliament. These can only be addressed through higher representation of women in legislature and governments, argues NETRI in the report. Equal representation can help in ensuring that issues that concern women are not disregarded. For instance, a look at the data below shows the dismal state of women’s access to some fundamental rights.
1. Health, especially menstrual and reproductive health,
3/5 women have trouble accessing healthcare
2. Gender inclusive and sensitized workplaces,
Only 5/100 women have received employable skill training
There is no data that tracks implementation of PoSH across private, public and civil society and informal workplaces.
3. Violence against women,
1/3 reported crimes against women are of domestic violence
4. and financial and bodily agency
4/5 women do not have access to their own money.
To bring equal representation in action, join us in demanding that the Women's Reservation Bill be tabled and discussed in the Special Session of the Parliament taking place between 18th and 22th September 2023.
We are reaching out to MPs, MLAs, activists, and opinion makers amongst some other important figures who can advocate for a concrete discussion of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Special Session.
[1] Report on addressing the gender gap in adolescents' political interest & engagement in India