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Christian groups in India demand vote on quota for women in Parliament
2003-104-7
5/13/2003
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[Episcopal News Service]
Two dozen prominent women leaders gate-crashed into the high security residence of the Indian prime minister to protest against the scuttling of a vote on landmark legislation that would reserve a third of parliamentary seats for women. The protest was led by representatives of 11 women's groups, including the Church of North India's Joint Women's Programme and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).
The day before, the Indian Parliament had failed to bring to a vote a bill that would have reserved 33 per cent of the seats in the federal parliament and in the state legislatures for women. It was the fifth time the bill had been brought before Parliament since 1996 without coming to a vote.
'This is a betrayal by the government and the major political parties. We are really sick of this farce,' said Jyotsna Chatterji, a member of the Church of North India and director of its Joint Women's Programme.
Chatterji was among the women who on 6 May took the security forces at the residence of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee by surprise. According to the Hindu newspaper, 250 women gathered near the prime minister's residence and started walking towards
the main entrance. While the security forces were trying to persuade the women to leave the area, about 25 slipped past and reached the reception, where they demanded to meet the prime minister.
The women left after gaining a meeting with Vajpayee, who assured them the legislation would be introduced again in the next session of Parliament. All the major political parties have at least publicly declared support for the bill, from Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the opposition Congress Party, and the Communists.
'The government brought the bill once again, but allowed a few members of Parliament to create a din, and used this excuse to postpone this bill,' Chatterji told ENI. 'If the government was serious, it could have put the bill to vote, as the country has been debating the issue for years.'
Women currently account for less than 8 per cent of the members of India's Parliament. The ratio of women to men in state legislatures is lower still.
The Joint Women's Programme and the YWCA are part of a national network of women's organizations called the Seven Sisters that has been lobbying for the quota, believing it is important for reducing widespread gender prejudice and helping oppressed women.
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