WOMEN RESERVATION IN INDIA

Reservation for women in legislature has a long history. Legislative reservation for women
was discussed in India first in the contextof the constitutional reforms in the 1930. The Government
of India Acts of 1919 and 1935 had granted separate electorates for Muslims, Sikhs and Christians
and had an idea of reservation for women. This was opposed by the demand of absolute equally of
women and men. The women’s organizations like All India Women’s Congress considered women’s
presence in the legislature secondary to the foal of freedom. They demanded the right to be elected to
the legislature but with equality and no privileges. The key issue then was absolute equality versus
preferential treatment not only of women but also of other groups.The opposition of these groups the
colonial government had gone ahead and reserved 41 seat in the Provincial legislature as well as
limited reservation in the central legislature, by the government of India Act of 1935. Though the
AIWC had opposed the reservation earlier, it took the advantage of thereservations. In 1937 election
56 women became legislators , 41 in the reserved seats only 10 in the unreserved and 5 in nominated
seats. The reserved seats laid the ground for the women’s participation in politics and provided them
a foothold in legislatures.The Participation of women in politics has the background in the social
reform movement in the 19th and 20th centuries which focused on the women’s issues like age of
marriage education and equal rights with men. In 1920s and 30s Mahatma Gandhi’s politics opened
the gates of political participation for women at different levels. Gandhi welcomed women’s
participation in satyagraha which brought a large number of women in politics. However, as was
discussed earlier, reservation for women was opposed by the women’s wing of Congress. The
constitution of India adopted the principle Franchise, thus giving women voting right on par with
men. The percentage of women in Parliament has been very low right from the beginning. This is not
a very encouraging picture. Therefore there is this demand for women’s reservation in parliament.
Prejudices and cultural perceptions about the role of society are among the greatest obstacles to
women’s entry into politics.