The Hindu : National : Speaker hopes Women's Bill will be passed in his tenure

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Saturday, Mar 10, 2007
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Speaker hopes Women's Bill will be passed in his tenure

Special Correspondent

Says efforts must be made to encourage their participation

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has expressed the hope that the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed during his tenure.

Speaking at a function organised here to felicitate women achievers, he said women contributed a lot to society and efforts should be made to encourage their participation in the political structure and public life.

He, however, expressed unhappiness over the media coverage of the passionate speeches made by women MPs in both Houses on the occasion of International Women's Day on Thursday. Mr. Chatterjee said that most of the newspapers and television channels ignored the issue.

Priority area

Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chawdhary said that the Government had taken up women's development as a priority area and was working on various programmes to encourage women in every sphere of life.

The women felicitated were: Anjali Gopalan, founder of Naz Foundation (India Trust); Archana Gupta, housewife working for self-help groups; Aruna Mishra, woman boxer; Indira Jaising, lawyer; Lalita Devi, a teacher working for Dalit girls' education in Gaya (Bihar); Monisha Behl, women's rights activist from northeast; Squadron Leader Namrita Chandi; Sabera Khoja, community radio broadcaster from Kutch; Vandana Vaibhav Gandhi, gynaecologist; and Veena Devi, woman sarpanch from Navada in Bihar.

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