Indian Parliament: Govt presents bill to reserve 3rd of seats for women

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government yesterday moved a bill to reserve one-third of seats in the lower house of parliament and state assemblies for women, reviving an old proposal that is expected to boost his party's standing among women.

The contentious legislative proposal has been hanging for decades due to opposition from some heartland political parties and needs the approval of both houses of parliament and a majority of state legislatures to become law.

Its revival comes months before general elections are due by May 2024 when Modi seeks a third term. Analysts say the chances of the bill getting passed in parliament have brightened as opposition to it has shrunk over the years.

It is the latest in a series of moves by the government that the ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has projected as "pro-women"

"There have been many debates in the past regarding women's reservation...and I appeal to lawmakers to support the bill," Modi said in parliament during a five-day special session which began on Monday.

"We want more and more women to join the development process of the country," Modi said before his law minister presented the bill to lawmakers.

Women account for almost half of India's 950 million registered voters but make for only 15 percent of parliament and about 10 percent of state legislatures, pushing the world's largest democracy to the bottom of the global list on gender parity in legislatures.