Disappointed with the UPA government's lack of commitment to gender issues, civil society representatives have demanded 33%reservation for women in Parliament and compulsory registration of marriages. These demands are part of the women's charter released by non-government organisations.
Lured by the promise of the Women's Reservation Bill introduced in the 14th Lok Sabha (Lower House), a larger number of women are seeking party tickets this time.
Indian politics’ skewed sex ratio is best illustrated by the composition of the last parliament. It had just 45 women, which is 8.3% of the strength of the House. Those 45 MPs were elected from the 355 women who contested the 2004 general elections. The 15th Lok Sabha looks set to be even worse.
As exit polls predict a hung verdict to India's month-long general elections, results for which are expected late Saturday, the only certainty is that a handful of top female politicians firmly hold the keys to the formation of the next government.
A record 61 women MPs have been elected to the 15th Lok Sabha - the highest since independence. A majority of these MPs - 23 – belong to Congress. The BJP has contributed 13 women to the House.
India's parliament has elected its first woman Speaker after a sweeping victory for the Congress party in recent general elections. Congress veteran Meira Kumar, 64, a former lawyer and diplomat, was elected unopposed to cheers from MPs.
he BJP is committed to 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. We will not dilute on the numbers (anything less than 33 per cent), but are ready for any formula which satisfies all," BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters here.
Happy to have overcome two decades of electoral drought in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the Congress party in a symbolic gesture of thanks has put its most prominent leader from the underprivileged Dalit caste, Meira Kumar, in the speaker's chair.
Even as the nation debates the women's reservation bill, women in Tripura are getting ready to stand up and be counted in elections to local self-government bodies next month.Political parties across the board are positive about nominating women candidates for the three-tier panchayat polls on Ju