Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, is a great milestone in the journey of women empowerment in India. Women, not in our country, but at the global level have been the centre of this discrimination, injustice and have been slaves for centuries! It is the greatness of our country that since the making of the constitution, women got the right to vote even when it was not there in a country like the United States of America! In our country, women have played great leadership roles in politics, defence, agriculture and so on. Politics is one of the sectors where women are not in adequate number as compared to the population of women in the country.
The state and central governments make policies, laws and bills for the betterment of the citizens. But despite making 50% of the population of Indian citizens, the policy makers are not women. I, along with the women of my country, am still struggling for a dignified life, justice, freedom, for a life of being not discriminated against, a life of beyond patriarchy.
I am sure that this Bill will certainly help to pave the way for the new generations to express their voice in the parliament. Women from all walks of life might not have representatives in the Parliament right away, but the Bill will support them in a real democracy. I have been in local governance as a Woman Sarpanch for the last two terms. I must say that leadership positions not only help women, but also the society, because women are great leaders! History has seen some amazing women leaders, politicians, poets, farmers, soldiers – like Indira Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Savitribai Phule, Jijabai and the list can go on.
Though this Bill has limitations to come on-ground. The question is will it lead to real empowerment or not? It is in our hands. We cannot restrain ourselves by saying that because of this Bill, male candidates will front their female counterparts to contest and win elections. We need to make sure that the Bill does not turn into proxy representation. My campaign as an Nguvu Change Leader #NoToSarpanchPatiCulture is all about that.
Women leaders like me could now aspire to become MLAs and MPs. We, as members of Parliament and State Assemblies will be in powerful decision making positions.
The next step for the government should be to build a support system for the elected women representatives, so that they can work towards empowering other women on-ground. I am hopeful that this scale of leadership and range of political power that comes along, will surely enhance women participation in real terms.
Dolly Verma is Nguvu Change Leader and Second Time Sitting Sarpanch Gaya, Bihar