Women in Governance

Dr. Aneesh M S
 Women in Governance
● A woman is an adult female human
● The involvement of women in governance refers
to the participation and representation of
women in decision-making processes within
various levels of government, including local,
national, and international bodies.
● Achieving gender equality in governance is an
important aspect of promoting overall societal
progress
● some key points related to women in governance
● Representation: One of the main goals is to increase the
number of women in elected and appointed positions within
government bodies. This includes positions such as members
of parliament, senators, mayors, governors, and members of
cabinets.
● Political Empowerment: Empowering women politically
involves creating an environment where women have equal
opportunities to participate in political activities, run for
office, and engage in political discourse. This can be
achieved through policy changes, educational initiatives,
and efforts to eliminate gender-based discrimination.
● Policy Influence: Women in governance can have a
significant impact on policy decisions. Research suggests
that diverse perspectives contribute to more
comprehensive and effective policies. When women are
involved in decision-making, there is a greater likelihood
of addressing a broad range of issues and concerns.
● Economic Empowerment: Women's participation in
governance is linked to broader economic empowerment.
Policies that promote gender equality in the workplace,
address wage gaps, and support women entrepreneurs
contribute to the overall empowerment of women in
society.
● Legal Reforms: Ensuring equal rights for men and
women requires legal reforms. These may include
changes to discriminatory laws, the introduction of
affirmative action measures, and the
implementation of policies that promote gender
equality.
● Education and Awareness: Promoting education and
awareness about the importance of women in
governance is crucial. This involves challenging
gender stereotypes, encouraging young women to
pursue careers in politics, and fostering a culture
that values diversity in leadership.
● Challenges: Despite progress, challenges
persist, including gender-based
discrimination, cultural and societal
expectations, and systemic barriers that
hinder women's advancement in political
careers.
 Constitutional provisions for women
● India has several constitutional provisions aimed at
promoting and safeguarding the rights of women.
Some of the key provisions include
● Equality before the law (Article 14): The
Constitution of India guarantees equality before the
law for all citizens, irrespective of gender.
● Prohibition of discrimination (Article 15): Article 15
of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
● Article 39 (a) deals with the states should make
policy to give adequate means of livelihood to both
men and women.
● Article 39 (d) mentions policies by state for equal pay
for equal work for both men and women.
● Right to Education (Article 21-A): The right to
education is a fundamental right for children, and
this includes girls. The state is obligated to provide
free and compulsory education to all children up to
the age of 14.
 Women in Parliament
● The Parliament of India is the supreme
legislative body of the country and is
responsible for making and passing laws. It is
a bicameral legislature, meaning it consists of
two houses:
● Rajya Sabha (Council of States):
● The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of Parliament.
● Members of the Rajya Sabha are not directly elected by
the people. They are elected by the elected members of
the State Legislative Assemblies and by the members of
the Electoral college for Union Territories.
● The Rajya Sabha represents the states and union
territories of India.
● It is a permanent body and is not subject to
dissolution, but one-third of its members retire
every two years.
● Lok Sabha (House of the People):
● The Lok Sabha is the lower house of Parliament.
● Members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by
the people of India through general elections.
● It represents the people of India and their interests.
● The Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution, and a new
one is constituted after every general election.
● Total number of women in present Lok Sabha
– 78
● Total number of women in present Rajya
Sabha – 24
● Present Lok Sabha has a total of 542
Membersout of which 78 are Female Members.
● Present Rajya Sabha has a total of 224
Members out of which 24 are Female
Members.
● Meira Kumar: She served as the 15th Speaker
of Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014, being the first
woman to hold the post.
● Annie Mascarene - She was the first woman
MP from Kerala
● Lakshmi N. Menon was the first Malayalee
woman who became the member of Rajya
Sabha.
● Indira Gandhi served as the first and only
women Prime Minister of India from 1966 to
1977
 No of women representatives from Kerala
● Total elected members Kerala legislative assembly is 140, But women
members are only 12
● Lok sabha MPs- 20 (Women-1, Remya Haridas)
● Rajya sabha- 9 members (women-1, Smt. Jebi Mather Hisham)
● Women ministers in Kerala – 3
 73rd and 74th Amendment acts
● The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment
Acts in India were enacted in 1992 (P V
Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister) to
decentralize governance and promote local
self-government in rural and urban areas,
respectively.
● These amendments introduced provisions for the
reservation of seats for women in local bodies,
namely Panchayats (village-level governance)
and Municipalities (urban local bodies).
● The 73rd Amendment Act is related to rural local
governance, specifically Panchayats and 74 th
related to Municipalities.
● It added Part IX to the Constitution, which deals
with Panchayats and IX-A deals with
Municipalities.
● Article 243D mandates the reservation of seats for
Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs),
and women in Panchayats or Muncipalities. The
reservation for women is not less than one-third of
the total seats.

● Article 243T provides for the reservation of seats

for women among SCs, STs, and the general
category in Panchayats/Municipalities..
 Women’s Reservation Bill 2023-Nari Shakti
Vandan Adhiniyam

● It was introduced in Lok Sabha on September 19,

2023. The Bill seeks to reserve seats for women in
Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
● The bill reserves one-third of the seats in Lok
Sabha, State legislative assemblies and the Delhi
assembly. This will also apply to the seats
reserved for SCs (Scheduled Castes) and STs
(Scheduled Tribes) in Lok Sabha and State
Legislatures.
● The Bill provided that reserved seats for
women may be allotted by rotation to
different constituencies in states or Union
Territories.
● In the seats reserved for SCs/STs, the Bill
sought to provide one-third of the seats to be
reserved for women on rotational basis.
 Questions….

● The Constitution provides that

i. Not less than one-third of the total number of seats to be filled
by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for
women.
ii. Maximum reservation for the women shall be one-third of
the total seats.
iii. Not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved
for SC/ST shall be reserved for women belonging to SC/ST
iv. The seats reserved for women may be allotted by rotation to
different constituencies in a Panchayat.
A:-Only i is true B:-Only ii is true
C:-i, ii and iii are true D:-i, iii and iv are true
ICDS- 2022
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