Hope on Horizon: Women's Reservation Act to Foster Inclusivity

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed optimism for the amendment of the Women's Reservation Act during special Parliament sittings, emphasizing cooperation from all political parties. The act aims to reserve 33% of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women, necessitating amendments for it to be effective by 2029.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed optimism around the potential amendment of the Women’s Reservation Act during upcoming special sittings of Parliament, emphasizing the necessity of unanimous cooperation from all political parties.

The act, first passed in September 2023, aims to reserve 33% of Lok Sabha seats for women, pending constitutional amendments and delimitation exercises. Speaker Birla highlighted the importance of parliamentary decorum, specifically the need to refrain from using unparliamentary language and displaying banners, as a reflection of democracy.

Birla also underscored the critical role of women’s participation in governance as a means to make policymaking more people-centric. Furthermore, he noted the positive contributions of emerging technologies like AI in enhancing public engagement in democratic processes.