News

Asian Games Special: India legislature to be 1/3 women

Updated: 2010-03-12 10:35

India’s government pushed a bill through parliament on Tuesday that would reserve one-third of the legislature’s seats for women, the Times of India reported, after two days of high drama that saw suspension of seven members who violently disrupted proceedings.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, pushed by the government despite the threat of withdrawal of support by the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, was passed by a wide majority in the Rajya Sabha, or upper house, a day after angry socialist lawmakers tore up papers and tried to tear out microphones.

A smoother passage is expected in the Lok Sabha, or lower house.

The protests stalled debate and voting for a day. The bill has faced strong opposition since it was first proposed more than a decade ago, with many political leaders worried that their male-dominated parties would lose seats under a female quota system.

But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, which was re-elected last year, was confident it has enough support this time and presented the bill to parliament on International Women’s Day.

The bill is an attempt to correct some of the historical mistreatment of women in this South Asian country. Most Indian women receive far less education than men and are weighed down by illiteracy, poverty and low social status.

On Monday, a UN report said 96 million women in Asia have “disappeared” because of a gender gap that deprives them of access to health care and good nutrition, including about 43 million in India. Sex-selective abortions were also blamed.

The socialist groups argued that a portion of the women’s quota should be set aside for minorities and lower castes, which have been socially and economically disadvantaged as well.

The main opposition parties, including right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party and communist groups, supported the bill.

But socialist lawmakers blocked the proceedings after the bill was introduced on Monday. Lawmakers belonging to the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party rushed to the seat of the chairman and tore copies of the bill, throwing its pieces in the air.

The bill would raise the number of female lawmakers in the 545-seat lower house to 181 from the current 59. It would nearly quadruple the number of women in the 250-seat upper house. The bill would also apply to state legislatures.

The two socialist groups opposed to the bill announced withdrawal of their support for the coalition government, led by Prime Minister Singh, as a mark of protest against the bill.