Reservation for Women in Panchayats

The Union Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Dr. C.P.Joshi today informed the Rajya Sabha the a Constitutional Amendment Bill had been introduced in Parliament to increase the reservation of Women in all the tiers of PRIs from the existing 33 per cent to 50 per cent. Presently the Bill is under reference to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development

In reply to a witten question the Minister said a nation wide study on Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) commissioned by Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in 2007-08 concluded that the earlier notions of women being mere proxies for male relatives have gradually ceded space to the recognition that given the opportunity to participate in the political system, women are as capable as their male counterparts. EWRs have used their office not only to mainstream gender issues but also to address the developmental needs of the community as a whole and also issues such as health, sanitation, early childhood care, drinking water etc., that have a special impact on the lives of women.

He further told that a similar proposal to increase the reservation of women in local bodies in Urban areas has been moved by Ministry of Urban Development.

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