Representatives of women’s groups today met President A P J Abdul Kalam and submitted a memorandum, demanding 33 per cent reservation in Parliament.Urging the President to prevent any further delay in introducing the Women’s Reservation Bill, they demanded that it be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. Stressing the importance of women’s participation in politics, Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury had called for women’s reservation while inaugurating the Parliamentary Forum on ‘Women and Leadership in a Democracy’ in Uganda on Friday.Ranjana Kumari of Women Power Connect, who led the delegation today, said: “The Government in the last three years has shown no intention of presenting the Bill. And what is worrying is that there isn’t even a draft Bill.”The Minister said that to improve the functioning of democracies, there was a need to ensure a “critical mass” of 30 per cent of women in politics.Chowdhury, who is also the President of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Group, called upon women to strive to ensure active participation in power structures.“Women’s exclusion from leadership and decision-making raises concerns regarding their empowerment and the achievements of democratic transformation,” she said.Underlining the success of one-third representation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions in India, Chowdhary said it had resulted in over one million women being elected to rural and urban local bodies.
