India, world's largest democracy lags behind countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh in terms of women empowerment. With elections next year the AWRB has urged the UPA government to ensure 33 per cent women's reservation bill..

DESPITE OF tall claims by both centre as well as governments of respective states, India stands the lowest amongst its neighbouring countries as far as reservation for women is concerned.

According to a survey, reservation for women stands at only 8.2 per cent in India while in Pakistan it is over 21 per cent, Nepal 30 per cent and Bangladesh is 10 per cent. Expressing serious concern over the least participation of women in country’s progress, the Alliance for Women’s Reservation Bill (AWRB) has accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre of betraying the commitments made in the Common Minimum Program (CMP) of mainstreaming women in the legislative process and structures effectively.


The Alliance, which is consisting of nearly 30 women groups besides other support groups and grass-root organisations, maintained that the South Asian countries including those, which have dictatorships, show political will in making provisions and implementing reservation for women in their parliaments and assemblies, but so far India continues to lag behind.

After staging dharnas outside the Parliament, AWRB has sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that the 33 per cent women’s reservation bill must be tabled and voted upon in this half of the budget session. It said that since women form 50 per cent of the electorate in India, this election year is an opportunity for the government to ensure the passage of the bill.
Veena Nayyar, director of Women’s Political Watch, an Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) working for the upliftment of women said, "Women are angry, tired and feel insulted by unmeant and unkept promises by manifestos and speeches of the senior most leadership of the country and these too pick up momentum only in the election year."


She said that field surveys show that the common man is supporting and even seeking women’s participation in governance, but it is only the men-in-power who are opposing, denying and occupying women’s rightful places.