Debate On

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CONTENTS

Topic Page

Acknowledgement 3

Introduction 4

Highlights of the Bill 6

For the Bill (Group A) 8

Arguments Against the


Bill (Group B) 13

Conclusion after the Debate 15


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Acknowledgement

This satisfaction that accomplish the successful


completion of this practicum would have been next to
impossible without mentioning the people who made it
possible. Their consistent guidance and
encouragement Growded my efforts with success.

I feel honored to express my profound regard and


deep sense of gratitude to (subject teacher name) for
allowing me to carry out my practicum. I am highly
obliged and grateful for their excellent guidance,
unique cooperation right from the beginning of the
practicum to its completion.
Introduction

This practicum aims to explore and analyze one of the


most significant and contentious issues in the field of
politics and gender equality. The Women Reservation
Bill, also known as the Women's Reservation Bill, has
been a topic of intense discussion and debate in many
countries, including India, where it has garnered
significant attention and controversy.

The Women Reservation Bill proposes to reserve a


certain percentage of seats for women in legislative
bodies, such as parliament, state assemblies, and local
governing bodies. The objective behind this bill is to
ensure gender equality and provide a platform for
women's voices to be heard in decision-making
processes. However, the bill has faced considerable
opposition and has become a subject of fierce debate,
reflecting differing perspectives on the matter.

During this practicum, we will delve into the various


dimensions of the debate surrounding the Women
Reservation Bill. We will explore the arguments put
forth by both proponents and opponents of the bill,
shedding light on the complexities and nuances of the
issue. Additionally, we will examine the historical
context, global examples, and empirical evidence to
gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact
and implications of such a legislation.

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Highlights of the Bill

1. The Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth


Amendment) Bill seeks to reserve one-third all seats
for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative
Assemblies. The allocation of reserved seats shall be
determined by such authority as prescribed by the
Parliament.

2. One-third of the total number of seats reserved for


Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall be
reserved for women of those groups in the Lok Sabha
and the State Legislative
Assemblies.
3. Reserved seats may be allotted by rotation to
different constituencies in the States or Union
Territories.

4. Reservation of seats for women shall cease to exist


15 years after the commencement of this Amendment
Act.

5. The report examining the 1996 Women's


Reservation Bill recommended that reservation be
provided for women of Other Backward Classes
(OBCs) once the Constitution was amended to allow
for reservation for OBCs. It also recommended that
reservation be extended to the Rajya Sabha and the
Legislative Councils. Neither of these
recommendations has been incorporated in the Bill.
For the bill ( Group A )

Promises of gender equality or women empowerment


have been one of the most heated premises of the
ongoing parliamentary elections. Different political
parties have promised various schemes for the same.
The most familiar of the myriad promises being made
is passing the Women's Reservation Bill (2008) in the
Lok Sabha which will ensure 33% reservation for
women in parliament as well as in the state legislative
assemblies.

Benefits derived from the Bill-

● The Bill certainly looks promising in its attempt to


acknowledge the internal complexities within the
category of women by recognizing their respective
deprivation points derived from caste inequalities.

● The lack of representation of women in powerful


positions in the Lok Sabha or the Legislative
Assemblies hinder the focus required on women's
education and financial independence, they may
help to break free from oppressive familial ties.

● Men like to talk about women in public discourses,


but are these male politicians willing to share
power with women? and so.

● The endless and repetitive labor put in by women


is not considered work at all and thus huge
amounts of work is labeled 'unproductive' and
hence remains unpaid. Precisely this is the vicious
exploitative circle which engulfs women's lives and
gives rise to their systemic oppression.

● The Women's Reservation Bill challenges this


whole notion of segregation of spheres according
to gender. It makes a probability for women to
enter into uncharted territories for them which are
generally masculine. The WRB invariably means
more and more women in positions of power and
decision-making which actively influences public
life and this a threat to the stable status quo.

● An analysis of the main institutions in society


shows that nearly all economic, political, religious,
social and cultural institutions are patriarchal and
are by and large controlled by men. Namely, the
family, religion, media, law, educational institutions,
army and definitely the state are the pillars of a
patriarchal system and structure. The concept of
state has a hyper masculine connotation to it.

● We need women in positions of power, in


decision-making roles, in politically supreme
positions. Almost all political institutions in society,
at all levels, are male dominated, from village
panchayats to parliament.

● Even when some women do assume important


political positions, they do so, at least initially,
because of their association with some strong
male political personalities, and they function
within the structures and principles laid down by
men. They are mainly a result of political lineage,
and have very little to do with actually opening up
opportunities for women to enter into the political
arena. This is the reason why women's reservation
is the need of the hour. We need women politicians
and ministers to bring up issues concerning
women in the parliament and engage in active
participation for their upliftment.

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Arguments Against
the Bill (Group B)

● One of the main arguments against this Bill is that


reserving a constituency for women would mean
all men in the constituency lose out on the
opportunity to represent it. It would essentially
amount to denying someone their democratic right
on the basis of gender.

● The Bill would benefit only women from the


privileged strata of the society so this reservation
should contain 33% reservation within the
women's category for women belonging to the
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other
Backward Classes.
● The Bill would only help female relatives of current
politicians to enter public space and thereby
defeat the very purpose of the Bill.

● Women in modern India do not need reservation.

● Reservation should only be at the level of


distributing party tickets.

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Conclusion after the Debate

Considering the above arguments for and against the


motion judges come into conclusion that- When a
section of society has been historically oppressed,
ostracized and denied their basic human rights on
account of gender, it is only imperative that retribution
must be based on gender too. We must find out the
cause of oppression and then try to subvert the
menace according to the cause. Where gender is the
only reason for denying women representation, gender
becomes the only tool to fight it.

Women are national treasures, they are to be kept in


the vaults, never to be used as active agents in
nation-building. This institutional set-up, as we know it
today, when contextualized in history, reveals a deeply
gendered and patriarchal structural setting within
which sovereign
states exist.

If we are looking towards development and progress


as our national goals, we cannot turn a blind eye
towards the sex that falls short of being half the
population.

Ultimately we can come to the conclusion from the


debate that, "it is a matter of right, and not a matter of
favor."

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