Waiting for RS majority to push women’s quota bill, says Naidu

The bill to provide 33% quota to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies is likely to get a fresh push, Union minister for information, broadcasting and urban development M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday.

Addressing the three-day National Women’s Parliament, organised by the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly on the theme Empowering Women — Strengthening Democracy, he said, “We have a strong political will and administrative skill. The day is not far off when Parliament passes the bill through consensus. We are waiting for majority in Rajya Sabha,” he said.

The bill had passed the Rajya Sabha test during the last Lok Sabha session. But after the term of the 15th Lok Sabha ended, the bill —which was the property of the Lower House — also lapsed.

Stating that gender inequality was hampering the progress of the country and stalling the economic empowerment of women, the minister said women were not inferior to men in any field and given the right opportunity, they would prove their mettle.

“There are many tasks which only women can perform. It is our responsibility to see that they get the right opportunities,” he said.

Buddhist spiritual leader and Nobel laureate Dalai Lama, who was the special invitee for the event, said women were equal to men in all aspects — physically, mentally and emotionally. What was required for women to come up was vision, hard work and determination.

He called for a change in the education system so that women were treated with respect. “There should be oneness of humanity and men and women should work in tandem. For this, one should have inner peace, which is essential to achieve the peace in the world,” he said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said it was the Telugu Desam Party under the leadership of its founder-president and former CM NT Rama Rao which had provided 33% reservation to women in all local bodies of the state.