Varanasi, 17 September 2023 — Prominent women’s rights advocates in Varanasi have called upon Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to mark his birthday with a historic gift: the passing of the long-awaited women’s reservation bill during a special session of Parliament. This initiative is being hailed as a monumental step towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in Indian politics.
Shirin Shabana Khan, Program Director of the Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and Savitri Bai Phule Women’s Panchayat, has launched an impassioned campaign within the Indian Parliament advocating for the Women’s Reservation Bill. The campaign’s motto, “A woman’s place is in the house, the people’s house, our Lok Sabha!” underscores the pressing need for gender balance in Indian political representation. Hosted on Change.org, the campaign has amassed support from approximately 4,500 individuals. Link to the campaign.
Khan notes that the campaign has drawn backing from both women and men, highlighting the widespread support for this crucial cause.
Drawing from a wealth of experience spanning three decades in various social contexts, Lenin Raghuvanshi, an award-winning global human rights activist, adds his unwavering voice to this vital initiative. He emphasizes the indispensable role of women in conflict resolution, war prevention, and the cultivation of a diverse, harmonious, and inclusive democracy. Raghuvanshi passionately advocates for the immediate implementation of a minimum 33 percent reservation for women in state legislatures and the national parliament. His support extends to extensive correspondence with numerous relevant authorities.
In pursuit of this goal, Shirin Shabana Khan has actively sought support from political parties, the Prime Minister, the cabinet, and Members of Parliament. She has also corresponded with Dr. Mahendra Bhai Kalubhai Munjapara, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, and received an official response from the Ministry of Law and Justice, highlighting the necessity for broad consensus among political parties before amending the constitution. Previously, her letter to the Prime Minister, acknowledged as a public grievance, received a response from the Ministry of Law and Justice. Ms. Vidya Chavan, spokesperson and State President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has publicly endorsed the petition on Twitter.
Representatives from Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and Savitri Bai Phule Women’s Panchayat have also held discussions with Salman Khurshid, the President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, and have committed to actively supporting women’s reservation in the upcoming elections. The Indian National Congress has allocated 40% of its tickets to women in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
Political activist Abhimanyu Pratap believes that endorsing this initiative will play a pivotal role in enhancing women’s participation and empowerment, thereby fortifying Indian democracy and making it more equitable, just, and inclusive.