Call Your MP Campaign: 127 MPs say 'YES' to Women's Reservation Bill

Bengaluru, Dec 29: Shakti - Call Your MP Campaign- mobilising support for the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, has got a positive response from 127 MPs. Around 20 partner Women groups in the North-South, East & Western region of the country, reached out to respective MPs on Dec 27 between 7 PM to 9.30 PM.

Within 2.5 hours, 127 MPs from 21 states and 23 political parties have said YES and over 130 MPs reached. And the rest the phone was off/unreachable/number not found. On Dec 15th - the first volunteer meeting was held after unveiling Shakti - 'Political Power to Shakti'.

Over 500 callers including farmers, women in corporations, rape survivors, students, women in IT, rehabilitated manual scavengers, women in media, bankers, trainers, researchers, civil society activists, domestic workers, advertising professionals, entrepreneurs etc. participated in the campaign.

Tara Krishnaswamy, the co-founder of Shakti on the success of the campaign said, "This is a landmark India wide effort for women's political rights with a simultaneous outreach to 127 elected representatives within just 2.5 hours. It is a thumping success to hear MPs who represent the voices of a whopping 192 million people of India say YES to the Women's Reservation Bill (16 lakhs voters per constituency.) This includes MPs from 23 major political parties other than the BJP supporting the Bill. Many non-BJP MPs including from state parties mentioned that they have been raising the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, including on Dec 27th but that they were not permitted by the House to discuss it."

She asked, "What is stopping the ruling party from passing the Bill when the most complicated Aadhaar, GST & controversial Instant Triple Talaq have been passed? We hope that the 127 MPs will discuss with each other and aggregate the demand in the House, with time running out Shakti will continue to ramp up this campaign until women get their political due."

Bhim Raskar of RSCD (Resource and Support Centre for Development) Maharashtra, said, "This was an amazing campaign and scores of our Panchayat members and teams participated. The real challenge is to maintain and create more pressure till the bill is passed."