Women Groups meet Prez for 33 pc reservation

New Delhi, June 11: In order to put pressure on the UPA government to ensure speedy passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, members of Women PowerConnect, a coalition of more than 400 women's organisations, today met President A P J Abdul Kalam and submitted a memorandum.

The delegation urged the President to use his good offices to prevail upon the policy-makers to introduce the Bill and fulfill the long-pending promise to the women of the country.

''The UPA Government in the last three years has shown no intention of presenting the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.

What is more worrying is that there is not even a draft bill. We demand that the Government table the bill in the forthcoming monsoon session of parliament,'' WomenPowerConnect president Ranjana Kumari said.

The bill was first introduced more than a decade ago to ensure political empowerment to half of the country's population. The passage of the bill is still a distant dream due to lack of political consensus.

Dr Kumari said the reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj ushered in a positive change as women across the country learned the significance of political representation in achieving political empowerment.

''It is imperative that the same opportunity be given to women on the national level as adequate representation in Parliament will mean giving women a say in the legislations that impact their lives,'' she observed.

India is witnessing development and economic growth, but the lives of most women in the country have remained untouched, she said.

''It must be ensured that women also reap the benefits of the growing economy and are able to integrate themselves to meet the challenges of globalisation,'' she added.

For various schemes and policies for women, appropriate resources have to be allocated for their effective implementation, she said.

UNI