GOVERNMENT FIRM TO TABLE WOMEN'S BILL

May 8, 2005 - (Central Chronicle) Government today said it is committed to bringing in the much-debated Women's Reservation Bill for reservation of seats in Parliament besides looking at amendments in other legislations and bringing another Bill to check domestic violence to ensure gender equality and women empowerment.

"We support the Women's Reservation Bill and we are working to build a consensus among all political parties for the purpose," Home Minister Shivraj Patil said here at the SAARC conference of women Parliamentarians and NGOs.

Patil said the democratic system in the country would work better if there was greater representation of women at the highest levels of decision-making such as the Parliament.

The government is talking to various political parties and the long-awaited Bill could be introduced in Parliament in the next session, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Kanti Singh said.

Government was also preparing a Bill to check domestic violence against women, Singh said, adding such a legislation would give women a way out of the harrassment being meted out to them in their households.

Amendments would also be made in other Acts such as the Hindu Marriage Act and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking of Women Act to ensure women development, Singh said.

Patil said political empowerment of women was essential and economic and social justice would follow later.

When it was pointed out by the Pakistani delegate that there was 33 per cent reservation for women at lower level, 20 per cent in National Assembly and 18 per cent in Senate, Patil congratulated the neighboring country and said India should follow the example set by its neighbour.

From: http://www.centralchronicle.com/20050509/0905007.htm