Karnataka - Belgaum   

Women protest against delay in providing quota

Staff Correspondent

Submit memorandum addressed to Sonia Gandhi

Belgaum: The Belgaum district unit of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) staged a demonstration at Channamma Circle here on Thursday in protest against the delay in providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and Assemblies.

The State NFIW president, Parimala Vijaykumar, and women activists, including Kala Sateri, Milan Rajput, Uma Mane, Poornima Pawar, Gouravva Gadivaddar, Rekha Surve, Rohini, and members of the Annapoorna Mahila Mandal units of Belgaum, Khanapur, Azad Galli and Ashte led the demonstration.

Pointing out that all political parties have committed to ensure representation to women, the NFIW said even the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre has promised to provide for reservation.

There was no impediment and it only calls for political will to do gender justice for women who have been deprived of their rights.

The United Front Government led by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in 1996 moved the 81st amendment bill to the Constitution in Parliament.

Although all parties had committed themselves to provide for representation to women, except the Left the others had failed to ensure the passage of the Bill. Subsequently, Geeta Mukherjee was elected as chairperson of joint select committee consisting of members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Recommendation

This committee submitted a report recommending the passage of the Bill in its present form and said that amendment could be made later on the basis of actual working experience.

The NFIW said though women accounted for 50 per cent of the population they continued to be discriminated against. It was time that the Union Government implemented its promise, the NFIW said in its memorandum addressed to the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

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