**New Delhi, September 19, 2023**
Women's organisations All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS) and All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) have welcomed the decision of the union cabinet to clear the proposed legislation to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. However, they have expressed concern that the bill guarantees a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies only by the 2029 Parliamentary elections.
In a press release issued today, the general secretaries of the three organisations said, "We have been demanding the passage of this bill for the past 25 years. If the BJP government was serious about women's reservation in the Parliament and State Assemblies, it could have got it passed in 2014 itself."
The organisations urged the government to ensure that the discussion on the bill is held in a democratic manner and the opinion of women's organisations is taken into consideration.
"We demand that the government immediately bring the bill before Parliament and ensure its passage in the ongoing special session," the press release said.
The women's reservation bill has been pending for decades, and has been the subject of much debate. Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to ensure that women are adequately represented in the decision-making process. Opponents of the bill argue that it is discriminatory and will lead to unqualified women being elected to office.
The passage of the women's reservation bill will be a landmark moment for Indian democracy. It will ensure that women have a greater voice in the decision-making process and help to create a more gender-equal society.
