Speaker wants support for women's reservation bill

Sumitra Mahajan said that respectfully giving reservations to women is the need of the hour.

Amaravati, Feb 12: The first National Women's Parliament concluded here on Sunday with Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan calling upon all political parties to back the bill for providing reservation to women in the legislative bodies.

Addressing the valedictory session, she said that respectfully giving reservations to women is the need of the hour.

Earlier, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the conclave, Mahajan urged upon all political parties to back the long pending bill aimed at providing 33 percent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010 but it lapsed following dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha.

The Speaker said that empowering women is necessary to make resurgent India and urged the Women's Parliament to contribute their best for mitigating problems of women to help their empowerment and enable national development.

She opined that agitating for reservations is not fight against men, but it is only asserting the basic human, civil and political rights. "The women empowerment really means respect for women for her human dignity, freedom to choose way of life and active participation in decision making process in participatory parliamentary democracy," she said.

Mahajan told the conclave that the Parliament is making consistent efforts for policy formulation and programme implementation towards empowerment of the women.

She mooted the idea of Parliamentary Group under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for discussing ways and means for empowerment of women.

Noting that women are change vehicles in global scenario, she said decision-making power was necessary for women.

Naidu said that the state government proposes to start a novel programme titled 'Thalliki vandanam' (Salutations to mother) soon. He expressed the confidence that under the leadership of Mahajan, the women's reservation bill will be passed in Parliament.

He also announced 'Amaravati declaration' which will be circulated to all the state governments for taking suitable action to provide equal opportunities to women and ensure their participation in socio economic development of the nation.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao said that 22,000 young women participated in the event and discussed the socio economic political challenges for women's empowerment.

More than 405 women members of legislative assemblies and 92 women Members of Parliament, Union and State ministers participated in the conclave. Eminent women from all walks of life deliberated various issues related to women's empowerment.

IANS