Indian lawmakers approve women's reservation bill

MONEY SHARMA/ AFP

Indian lawmakers on Wednesday voted in favour of a landmark bill to reserve a third of the seats in the lower house of parliament and state assemblies for women.

It's seen as a critical legislation to boost female participation in politics that was stuck for decades.

The bill, introduced by the government on Tuesday in the new parliament building's special session, secured the support of leaders of all opposition parties.

It now requires the approval of lawmakers in the upper house and a majority of state legislatures.

Lawmakers from regional parties demanded a quota for women from so-called backward castes within the overall 33 per cent quota to ensure equal representation of women from all walks of life.

Seeking to attract more of the growing number of Indian women who vote, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party had planned to nominate women for a third of seats contested in the 2024 general election even before this bill was introduced.

Its implementation depends on the completion of India's once-in-a-decade census which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Technical and logistical hurdles have set the survey back further.

More from International News

  • India imposes direct rule on Manipur state

    The Indian federal government took over direct control of the restive northeastern state of Manipur on Thursday after its chief minister resigned amid ethnic violence that has killed at least 250 people over two years and displaced thousands.

  • Grenade thrown into French bar injures twelve people

    A grenade attack has injured twelve people in a bar in France, authorities have said. The incident happened in the city of Grenoble, leaving two people in critical condition.

  • Car drives into crowd of people in Munich, several injured

    A car drove into a crowd in Munich on Thursday injuring several people, police said, as the southern German city prepares for a top-level security conference due to be attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

  • Six missing after fishing boat catches fire in Korea

    A search was under way for six people missing after a fishing boat caught fire in waters off Korea's southwestern coast on Thursday, the Coast Guard said. Five other people were rescued.

Blogs