INDIVIDUAL NOTE – PARV BHARGAVA
INTRODUCTION
The women reservation bill attempts to reduce the gender gap in political representation. In
order to guarantee that women's opinions are heard and considered during the decision-
making process, it suggests allocating 33% of legislative seats to them 1. By reserving the
seats for the women in the legislature which was historically controlled by men, this bill also
tell us that women can also take in the part or the assembly. Resolving structural prejudices
and barriers that women face in politics leads to an equal society where men and women can
participate in political processes. This promotes gender equality even more. Women who
represented in politics have chance to change the decision that can impact their communities.
Women are able to successfully addressing issues related to healthcare, education, and
employment that are special to their gender. As a result of this empowerment, women are
more likely to seek leadership roles, dismantling social barriers and advancing more resilient
economies and equitable policies.
One viewpoint within feminist thought that emphasizes the underlying reasons of women's
oppression—which it describes as patriarchy—is radical feminism 2. According to radical
feminists the patriarchal system is ingrained in institutions and societal structure. In order to
eradicate male power and attain true gender equality, they call for a drastic restructuring of
society. The goal of this strategy is to address the underlying power dynamics and social
norms that support gender inequality through systemic changes rather than just legislative or
policy adjustments.
Arguments Supporting Women Reservation Bill
1. Addresses Historical Discrimination:
Arguments: The program aims to improve gender equality, contribute to political
development, and balance the political environment by securing seats for women in
legislative bodies despite social, cultural, and economic obstacles. It aligns with radical
feminism's aim to undermine patriarchal systems and advance gender equality.
Evidence- In India the fight for the women’s political rights started in the early 1900’s.
Women's voting rights were restricted until the Indian Constitution's 1950 universal suffrage,
which was frequently conditioned on literacy and property ownership 3. Madras was the first
state to allow women to vote. But they only allow to those who are property owner due to this
most of the women couldn’t vote. 4To prevent this historical discrimination India has
1
Krithiha V. & Sushovan Patnaik, The Women’s Reservation Bill has a long history of
arguments and stakes, Supreme Court
Observer (2023), [Link]
long-history-of-arguments-and-stakes/.
2
Olivia Guy-Evans, Radical Feminism: Definition, Theory & Examples, Simply
Psychology (2024), [Link]
3
Karishma Sen, History Of Women’s Rights In India: Evolution Of Women’s Rights In
India, [Link] (2021), [Link]
[Link].
implicated the law i.e. Women Reservation bill which states the 33% should be reserved for
the women.
Davies tells us that by reserving the seats for women gives a direct challenge to male-
dominancy which they are doing from the starting 5. By doing this, it creates a more balanced
and inclusive environment. From the starting, only men has been seen in the politics but
reserving the seats for the women gives an opportunity to them to keep their points in the
assembly. This strategy reflects Davies' support for pluralism and inclusivity in academia and
beyond, and it not only advances gender equality but also helps create a more varied and
representative political environment.
By reserving the seats for women in legislative bodies gives gender equality is promoted by
making sure there thoughts are heard in assembly. Wendy Brown and Janet Halley's
discussions of the significance of resolving historical and social injustices through
progressive political initiatives are consistent with this endeavour. By securing the seats for
women help to create more equal political environment also this helps women participant in
the political engagement. Brown and Halley's criticism of how political and legal reforms can
either strengthen current power structures or promote revolutionary social change is in line
with this strategy. Therefore, by reserving the seats for women in legislative assembly is
proactive steps to gender equality
2. Promotes Gender Equality:
Arguments- Women's seats in legislative bodies must be reserved in order to promote
gender equality and give them a say in decisions that are primarily made by men. 6By
addressing systemic biases and obstacles that women encounter in politics, this encourages
inclusivity in the formulation of public policy. Men and women can participate in politics and
enjoy the benefits of a more equal society as a result. This advocacy for gender equality is in
line with radical feminism's focus on systemic transformation as a means of attaining
substantive equality.
Evidence- Women Reservation Bill has been enacted by the Indian government. By
removing systemic barriers and giving women political clout, this step is expected to
empower women to take on leadership roles and engage in the creation of public policy.
Despite being a significant step towards women's political equality in India, the legislation
won't be put into effect until after the census and delimitation are complete.
Legislative bodies must have seats set aside for women in order to guarantee that they have a
voice in legislature which was historically male-dominated decision-making processes.
Davies argues that just as political environment has historically exclude women. In the same
4
admin, When Madras’ women won the vote | Chennai
First, [Link] (2015), [Link]
women-won-the-vote/ (last visited Apr 1, 2025).
5
Margaret Jane Davies, Ethics and Methodology in Legal Theory (2002).
6
Drishtiias, Women’s Reservation Bill for Gender Equality, Drishti
IAS (2025), [Link]
reservation-bill-for-gender-equality (last visited Apr 1, 2025).
way that Davies supports a diversity of viewpoints in research to deepen understanding and
subvert prevailing narratives, the reservation policy, by ensuring a minimum level of female
representation, tackles systemic biases and obstacles that women face in politics. Davies' call
for self-reflective research methods echoes the societal self-reflection embedded in the
movement for women's reservation by recognizing and resolving gender differences in
decision-making roles. According to Wendy Brown and Janet Halley the criticizes liberalism
for emphasizing formal equality at the expense of substantive inequality brought about by
racial hierarchies, capitalism, and male supremacy, among other social powers 7. Women's
reservation laws also seek to remove systemic obstacles that keep women from having equal
access to political participation. These policies address the underlying institutional and
societal biases that sustain gender disparity by ensuring representation, going beyond
statutory equality.
3. Empowering women politically:
Arguments: Political representation empowers women to influence decisions affecting their
communities and livelihoods, promoting female empowerment. Women can address gender-
specific concerns like healthcare, education, and employment, and raise their issues. Political
representation encourages women to seek leadership roles and dismantles social barriers.
Gender equality leads to stronger economies and equitable policies, allowing women to
influence economic advantages politically. A diverse political environment ensures balanced
governance, considering the demands and interests of the entire populace. The goal of radical
feminism, which is to free women from patriarchal tyranny, is consistent with this
empowerment.
Evidence- In the Lok Sabha, women now make up 14.4% of the membership, up from 4.4%
in 1952. 8A record number of women MPs, many of whom were first-time candidates, were
elected in the 2024 elections. Women have become better equipped to handle issues unique to
their gender as a result of this growth. 9 After the 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution
one third is for women in the Panchayat Raj Institutions. 10With this the representation of
women has been increased and allow them to address local issue. Research has been shown
that women in politics result in more gender sensitive policymaking.
Brown and Halley argues that capacity for upholding should be carefully considered. Gender
equality allows women to influence economic advantages politically and is linked to stronger
7
Wendy Brown and Janet Halley, ‘Introduction’ in Left Legalism/Left Critique (Wendy
Brown and Janet Halley eds., 2002)
8
Arjun Sengupta, Explained: The representation of women in the incoming Lok Sabha,
how it compares to previous years, The Indian
Express (2024), [Link]
women-in-ls-well-under-proposed-33-quota-9374922/?utm (last visited Apr 1, 2025).
9
CA Team, Political Representation of Women, PMF
IAS (2024), [Link] (last visited Apr 1,
2025).
10
73rd Amendment of Panchayati Raj in India | Election Commission for UTs |
India, [Link] (2025), [Link]
raj-in-india/.
economies and equitable economic policy. Also, this also gives us a balanced government
which ensure us that needs and interest of the whole population are taken into consideration
and they are able to find and solve the problem. Brown and Halley highlight the need of
theoretical critique in understanding how legalism may transform and undermine the
principles and aspirations that leftists bring to it. They urge for a diverse political
environment to challenge regulatory norms and promote social change.
Conclusion
The Women's Reservation Bill in India marks yet another step in the struggle for women's
empowerment as it allots 33% seats in legislatures to women. It seeks to correct injustices
from the past and strives for egalitarianism and political empowerment of women. This is
viewed as the most radical form of feminist action against the deeply ingrained patriarchal
politics of the country. The bill hopes to ensure participation of women in governance so that
more holistic and considerate policies can be developed. It is in tandem with radical feminism
which seeks to correct deeper seated societal and institutional imbalances that foster
inequality. The Women's Reservation Bill is an assertive step towards achieving gender
equality in Indian society while suppressing the deeply embedded patriarchal regimes which
limit the scope of women.
