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Kavitha urges parties to support women’s quota bill
Kavitha said insufficient representation of women in legislatures was an obstacle to the nation’s progress and a weakening of democratic principles
Hyderabad
Amid talks on the introduction of a bill in the upcoming five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 seeking to provide reservations for women in the legislative bodies, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday appealed to all political parties in the country to extend their support to the bill.
BRS lawmaker and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha wrote a letter to the presidents of as many as 47 political parties represented in the Parliament, requesting them to ensure that the Centre introduces the long-pending women’s reservation bill and passes the same unanimously.
“Let us all set aside the political differences and prioritise the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament thereby ensuring reservation of 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women,” the letter said.
She regretted that despite being a crucial step towards gender parity and inclusive governance, the Women’s Reservation Bill remained in legislative limbo for far too long.
Stating that women who constitute nearly 50% of the total population of the country played a critical role in society, Kavitha said insufficient representation of women in legislatures was an obstacle to the nation’s progress and a weakening of democratic principles.
She pointed out that 14,00,000 women were already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively. “Increased women’s representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape,” the letter said.
Kavitha stressed in her letter that diverse representation in legislatures was essential to fulfil aspirations of citizens and urged for the importance of avoiding one-sided representation. Increasing women’s representation in politics would not only empower women but also serve as an inspiring example for millions of girls across the nation.
The former MP stated that women’s active participation in policy decisions had led to innovative proposals. She argued that enhanced female representation in legislatures would lead to more effective policies, benefiting the society as a whole.
Expressing regret over the lack of commitment among political parties to provide women with adequate representation in legislatures, Kavitha urged all political parties to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Women’s Reservation Bill.
In March this year, Kavitha sat on a day-long hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the tabling and passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament.
All India Congress Committee in-charge of Telangana affairs Manickam Tagore criticised the BRS leader’s call for Women’s Reservation Bill. “She is raking up the issue now, only to appease women ahead of the assembly elections in Telangana. But the women have decided to vote against the BRS,” he said.
Tagore, however, said the Congress would extend support to the women’s reservation bill if introduced in the Parliament. “In the past, it was the UPA government which had introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha and got it passed, thanks to the initiative taken by Sonia Gandhi. Unfortunately, it could not get the bill passed in Lok Sabha due to lack of majority for the Congress,” the AICC leader said.
