INDIA: UPA Reaffirms Commitment to Women's Empowerment

UPA government, in its new beginning, reaffirmed its commitment to women's empowerment by promising not just early passage of the contentious women's reservation bill but also replication of Bihar's landmark measure to reserve 50% of seats in panchayats and urban local bodies for members of the fairer sex.

Listing women empowerment among the top priorites of UPA 2, President Pratibha Patil told the joint session of Parliament on Thursday that concerted efforts would be made to increase representation of women in central government jobs, while a national mission on empowerment of women will be launched to ensure implementation of women-centric programmes in a mission mode.

President's reference to one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures is significant also because it rules out any dilution, as the fear was at one point of time, of the quantum of the gender quota.

What is equally significant is the proposed constitutional amendment for 50% quota in panchayats and urban local bodies. A shift from the top-down approach, going by Bihar's experience, can give a big boost to gender empowerment by drawing women into the political process and raising an army of political workers.

The president said the new government will take "concrete" steps to create equal opportunities for women by providing reservation to elected bodies at all levels, reservation in jobs and a National Mission on Female Literacy.

Arguing for 50% quota for women in local governments, the country's first woman president said, "Since women suffer multiple deprivations of class, caste and gender, enhancing reservation in panchayats and urban local bodies would lead to more women entering the public sphere."

The President, highlighting that while male literacy went up to over 75% in the last census and is expected to be higher now, female literacy remained only 54%, said, "My government will recast the National Literacy Mission as a National Mission for Female Literacy to make every woman literate in the next five years. Increased female literacy is expected to become a force multiplier for all our social development programmes."

The President said the government will take concerted effort to increase representation of women in central government jobs.

She declared that the government will take steps to "considerably" enhance social security coverage by including all widows above the age of 40 in the old age pension scheme. "My government considerably enhanced provisions for social security through old age pension for all people below the poverty line and above 65 years of age, all handicapped people and all widows above the age of 40," the President said.

The president highlighted that the National Mission on Empowerment of Women would be launched for proper implementation of women-centric programmes in a mission mode to achieve better coordination.

In the beginning of her speech, president Patil also congratulated Lok Sabha members "for unanimously electing the Speaker and that too a woman who is a Dalit with honourable credentials."

"This has enhanced the prestige of India's democratic traditions, that of the House and its members," Patil said. This is the first time in country's political history that two high constitutional posts of President and Lok Sabha Speaker are occupied by women.

Concurrently, Patil also announced a mission to increase the literacy of women in India, where only 54 percent of women are literate and more than 75 percent of men are literate. Patil said, "My government will recast the National Literacy Mission as a National Mission for Female Literacy to make every woman literate in the next five years. Increased female literacy is expected to become a force multiplier for all our social development programs," reported the Times of India. Patil also aims to increase women's representation in government jobs.

Media Resources: Times of India 6/5/09; Guardian UK 6/4/09