(Reissuing DI 40 with corrections in para one)

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) In a bid to pressurise the government for enactment of women's reservation bill, women groups from all over the country plan to gherao Parliament during the first few days of the monsoon rpt monsoon session.

Calling for an increased role of women in decision making process, women bodies have decided to hit the roads and fight till the Bill is passed instead of relying on dialogues in parliament.

''Women are getting exteremly unhappy with the delay in passing of the Bill. Various women's organisations from all over the country will gherao parliament and demand passage of the Bill,'' said Dr Ranjana Kumari, president, Women Power Connect (WPC).

Dr Kumari said discrimination is being faced by women in the political parties. The women's political representation at the legislative level has declined from 49 in 1999 to 44 in the present lower house. In the upper house it has increased to 28 in the present house from 20 in 1999, she added.

Prof Rita Bahuguna Joshi, president, All India Mahila Congress said " Women orgnaisations in the country will gherao Parliament and also protest in various state capitals simultaneously.'' Earlier, a two-day national convention on 'Legislative co-ordination and action for women's issues' was held in capital last week. It concluded with demanding passing of the Bill for 33 per cent reservation for women in the coming session of Parliament and stringent provisions in the law to check crime against them.

About 300 women group leaders and activists from various parts of the country took part in the two-day convention orgnaised by the Centre for Social Research (CSR), a national level organisation and Women Power Connect (WPC), a federation of over 300 women's groups.

WPC is a national-level organisation of women's groups and individuals working together with the aim of formalizing the process of legislative coordination. They also want to raise awareness about women's issues and thereby influence legislators and policy makers to create and implement gender-friendly policies. It endeavors to work for social, economic and political empowerment of women and the girl child to attain gender equality.

UNI AJ AK KN1948