Santosh Kumar Mohapatra
The Women’s Reservation Bill, which had been in hibernation for the past 8 years, was brought back to the centre of political discourse when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought cooperation from chief ministers of states and Union Territories for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. He ensured passage of a unanimous resolution in this regard in the Odisha Assembly and Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also written to chief ministers of Congress-ruled states and allies to support passage of the Bill.
Since women have played a big role in the successes of the BJD, the move is seen as an attempt to woo them and to project Naveen as a progressive leader. Reasons aside, fact is that women are under-represented in Parliament. The Bill had come closest to reality when it was passed in Rajya Sabha March 9, 2010. But celebrations proved ephemeral as the Bill could not move past the Lok Sabha owing to the lack of political will.
If the BJP and the Congress come together, they can get any Bill passed in Parliament. Most politicians are united when the question was about raising their salaries, but they blame each other over the Women’s Reservation Bill. Before every session of the Parliament statements are made, closed-door meetings and negotiations happen over many other Bills. But Women’s Reservation Bill is not among these. The Bill is a victim of patriarchal power. However, such a mindset is fortified by women who want to see themselves in an inferior role compared with men. Women’s empowerment in the legislature, therefore, remains a challenge.
United Nations’ University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) found that assembly constituencies with women representatives show significantly higher economic growth than those under male counterparts
Empowerment of women is feasible only if they are properly represented in the Legislature. But India ranked an awful 151th globally in on this count in 2018 according the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Women’s empowerment is key to gender equality. Modern societies increasingly demand gender equality, which is also a precondition for genuine democracy. India ranks abysmally at 127 out of 160 countries on the Gender Inequality Index.
Although women form about 50 per cent of the population, their representation in elected bodies, Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies is disappointing. Indian women occupy about 12.2 per cent seats in the Lok Sabha and 11.5 per cent seats in the Rajya Sabha. The scenario across states is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable 9 per cent. It is disconcerting that India is also far behind the global average for women in parliament, at 22.4 per cent. Europe surpasses global average at 25.2 per cent, while sub-Saharan Africa has average representation of 22.6 per cent; Asia has 19 per cent and Arab states 18 per cent representation of women. Nordic countries alone have 41.5 per cent average of woman MPs. About 42 countries in the world have 30 per cent or more woman MPs in Parliament. Only 13 countries have 40 per cent or more of seats in the National Parliament.
Almost all countries with better representation of women have ensured that constitutionally mandated quotas or reservation for women are created. About 40 countries, including Rwanda (30 per cent), Nepal (28 per cent), Pakistan (20 per cent), Bangladesh (13 per cent), Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden (50 percent), Sudan and Niger have a quota for women in Parliament. Some European countries have voluntary political party quotas that influence and ensure women’s participation in political activities.
Opponents of the Bill have cast doubt on the ability of women to lead, but the leadership role taken by women after the 73rd and 73th constitutional amendments have proven their detractors wrong. Those opposing reservation often cite its inability to take a person’s “merit” into consideration. However, a study by the United Nations’ University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) found that assembly constituencies with women representatives show significantly higher economic growth than those under male counterparts.
Data for 4,265 state assembly constituencies over two decades (1992-2012) across an average of four election cycles revealed that woman legislators in India raise economic performance in their constituencies by about 1.8 per cent per year more than male legislators. Women are more effective at completing road projects and hence creating infrastructure. Woman legislators are significantly less likely than men to be carrying criminal charges. Evidence suggests that woman legislators are less likely than men to exploit their office for personal financial gains. Also, woman MPs maintain better decorum than their male counterparts.
There are three major areas through which an MP contributes in parliamentary business, such as asking questions, participating in debates and motions, and introducing private member bills (PMBs). According to data collected by PRS Legislative Research for the 16th Lok Sabha (June 1, 2014 to July 31, 2018), female MPs on average asked 234 questions in the Lok Sabha, compared with 236 questions by male MPs. Similarly, female MPs on average participated in 56 debates while male MPs participated in 55 debates. In the same period, female and male MPs both introduced 1.6 PMBs on average in the Lok Sabha. Hence, it is concluded that female MPs are equally capable of fulfilling their parliamentary responsibilities as their male counterparts.
As woman MPs are in no way lagging their male counterparts, reserving more seats will cause no problem to the functioning of parliament; rather, it will empower women and achieve gender parity. Qualitative change in governance will come about in the decision-making process with the inclusion of women. India has a long history of discrimination and perpetration of crimes against women, leading to their inferior status in society. This needs to be reversed by giving them proper representation in legislatures. Countries with greater representation of women have often delivered better outcomes. Better representation for women in Parliaments can lead to formulation of more rules and regulations for the development of women and children.
The writer is an Odisha-based economist. e-Mail: skmohapatra67@gmail.com.