Beyond reservation for women in legislative bodies

UPSC Syllabus- GS 1- Issues related to women

Introduction

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment, 2023) provides one-third reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies. However, since its implementation depends on a future delimitation exercise and may be delayed until 2034, the focus should not only be on the extent of reservation but also on the quality of representation it ensures.

What is the historical background of women’s reservation in India?

Women’s political participation in India has evolved through decades of struggle:

• The discourse on women’s reservation began in the 1920s–30s, during the confluence of the national liberation movement and educational reforms.
• Paradoxically, leaders such as Sarojini Naidu and Muthulakshmi Reddy initially opposed reservation, fearing it would reinforce perceptions of women’s inferiority.
• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1993) was a watershed moment, reserving 33% of seats for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• After multiple introductions and lapses over three decades, the 106th Amendment (2023) finally extended reservation to Parliament and State Assemblies.

What are the gains of women’s reservation at the grassroots?

• People-centric governance: Women Pradhans have often prioritised basic needs like sanitation, housing, education, and electricity-issues that directly affect everyday life.
• Leadership in crises: During COVID-19, women representatives in rural Bihar stepped up as first responders, underlining the importance of grassroots leadership.
• Improved social outcomes: In West Bengal, their leadership has been linked to better literacy, lower BPL levels, and a higher average age of marriage.
• Breaking barriers: In Maharashtra, growing confidence has encouraged many women to contest and win even from unreserved seats, showing real political inclusion.
• Stronger communities: Initiatives like Kudumbashree in Kerala have further strengthened these gains through self-help group-led community mobilisation.

What are the challenges and limits of Reservation?

Despite clear gains, the reality on the ground shows that reservation alone cannot solve deeper structural issues:

• Proxy representation: In many cases, the ‘Sarpanch-Pati’ syndrome turns women representatives into mere figureheads for male relatives. The Nagaur (Rajasthan) incident-where a woman sarpanch was suspended because her husband conducted official meetings-highlights this concern.
• Political violence and intimidation: Women, especially from marginalised communities, often face harassment, threats, and even humiliation. The case of Kiran Kumari, a Dalit woman made to touch a councillor’s feet during campaigning, reflects how caste and gender hierarchies still persist.
• Rotation of seats: Frequent rotation of reserved constituencies disrupts continuity, making it difficult for women to build political careers. Even capable leaders are often denied a second chance-something rarely seen with male politicians.
• Awareness and literacy gaps: Limited awareness about roles and responsibilities, along with rural illiteracy, leads to a situation of “inclusion without real participation.”
• Elite capture: There is also a risk that reserved seats may end up being controlled by politically influential families, rather than empowering genuine grassroots voices.

What should be the Way Forward?

To make reservation truly meaningful, a broader and more supportive approach is needed:

• Increase reservation to 50%: Since women make up nearly half of India’s population, political representation should reflect this reality.
• Address political violence: Strong legal safeguards and effective enforcement are needed to ensure women can participate in politics without fear, including protection from online abuse.
• Invest in capacity-building: Regular training programmes can help women representatives better understand governance, finances, and digital tools, enabling more independent decision-making.
• Expand women’s role in elections: Greater participation as presiding officers, booth-level officers, and voter registration officials can make the electoral process more inclusive and trustworthy.
• Reform rotation policy: A more balanced approach is needed to allow continuity while still preventing the concentration of power.

Conclusion

Reservation is an important step, but it is only the beginning. The real goal is to ensure that women not only enter politics but also exercise real power and influence. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam should act as a foundation-on which genuine participation, voice, and leadership can be built.

Question for Practice– Despite one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions since 1993, proxy representation and political violence continue to limit real participation. Examine the structural challenges to women’s political empowerment in India and suggest measures to address them.

Source- TH