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Padma Shri Sunita Godbole Urges Swift Women's Reservation Bill Implementation

Padma Shri Sunita Godbole has welcomed the Women's Reservation Bill and called for its earliest implementation. She emphasized that alongside reservation, capacity-building and training for potential women legislators must begin immediately. Her remarks come as the government considers amendments to increase Lok Sabha seats and reserve 273 for women, using the 2011 Census for delimitation. The Union Cabinet has approved a draft amendment aiming for implementation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Key Points: Women's Reservation Bill: Sunita Godbole Calls for Early Training

  • Bill reserves 33% seats for women
  • Training needed for future representatives
  • Implementation targeted for 2029 elections
  • Lok Sabha seats may increase to 816
3 min read

"Women's Reservation Bill should be implemented at earliest": Padma Shri Sunita Godbole

Padma Shri Sunita Godbole welcomes the Women's Reservation Bill, urges immediate training for future women legislators ahead of 2029 implementation.

"I think this is a welcome step. This should be implemented at the earliest. - Sunita Godbole"

Dantewada, April 11

Padma Shri Sunita Godbole, a social worker, on Saturday welcomed the Women's Reservation Bill and urged the government and political leadership to begin preparations immediately to train women who are likely to enter legislatures after its implementation.

Speaking to ANI, Godbole said the move to reserve seats for women in legislatures is a positive step, but stressed the need for capacity-building alongside reservation.

"I think this is a welcome step. This should be implemented at the earliest. I express gratitude to the Central government for this. But we should not stop just at the reservation for women; they should also be trained for when they become public representatives, and able candidates should be identified for the same," she said.

She further urged women leaders across political parties to prepare future representatives in advance of the proposed implementation timeline. Encouraging greater participation of women in politics, she added that social perceptions about women's roles in public life must change.

"I urge all women politicians to train all such women who will be elected from 2029. But preparations for it should begin now itself. All educated women should step forward. Politics is not considered something for women but this should be changed. Women manage their home and work well, so they should be given the opportunity soon," she said.

Her remarks come amid the government's ongoing plans to introduce amendments aimed at increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816, with a proposal to reserve at least 273 seats for women.

According to sources, the proposal under consideration includes amendments to the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Act and the introduction of the Delimitation Commission Bill. The exercise is expected to use the 2011 Census as the basis for delimitation and redistribution of seats.

Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about one third) reserved for women.

The Union Cabinet has already approved a draft amendment bill to the Women's Reservation Act, paving the way for its implementation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The proposed amendment guarantees 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, including reserved quotas for SC/ST women, marking a significant step towards greater gender representation in Indian politics.

In an open editorial on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the Prime Minister highlighted the contributions of women across sectors and highlighted the importance of increasing their participation in governance.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
Good point about capacity building. Reservation alone won't help if women are just proxy candidates for their husbands or parties. We need genuine, trained leaders who can work for development.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has worked in gender policy, I appreciate the nuanced view. The 2029 timeline gives us 5 years to build a pipeline of talented women from all backgrounds. The focus on training is crucial.
A
Arjun K
While I support women's empowerment, I have a respectful criticism. Why wait until 2029? If this is so important, shouldn't it be implemented sooner? The political will seems to be missing for immediate action.
M
Meera T
True change will come when we stop saying "politics is not for women" in our homes. My mother always says, if a woman can manage a household budget, she can manage constituency funds! Let's encourage our daughters and sisters. 👏
K
Karthik V
The increase in Lok Sabha seats is also a big deal. More seats mean better representation for growing populations. Combined with women's reservation, this could really reshape our politics for the better.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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