3/5 Marks Question
Why should seats be reserved for women in Parliament and State Legislatures?
Answers
Abstract
The Women Reservation Bill, which proposes to reserve 33% seats in the national and state legislatures for women, has been tabled recently in the Indian Parliament. There has been national debate on merits and demerits of the reservation of seats for women in the central state legislative assemblies in India. In the present paper, merits of quota system v/ non-quota system and critical mass theory with reference to representation of women in legislature are discussed. Furthermore, it summarises the influence of increase in the number of women legislators, on the character of parliament and subsequent changes in government policies in otner countries. It is argued on the basis of experiences from other countries and local bodies in India that even if the public face of politics becomes feminised, without changing the political culture and the substantive policy agenda, increased numbers will have no impact.
Journal Information
The Indian Journal of Political Science is one of the most reputed refereed journals of Political Science at international level and the foremost journal of the discipline in India. A quarterly publication, the journal reflects the intellectual tradition and dedication of its parent body, the Indian Political Science Association (IPSA),toward the advancement of political science, scientific study of politics, and dissemination of knowledge through rigorous political inquiry.
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