Bengaluru groups launch campaign for immediate 33 percent women's reservation

Activists, academics, women's organisations, and civil society groups in Bengaluru have launched a campaign demanding the immediate and unconditional implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.

The campaign was initiated at a public consultation held in Bengaluru under the banner of the National Coalition for Women’s Reservation (NCWR)-Karnataka. During the meeting, participants voiced deep concerns over the continued delay in enforcing the legislation. Following the discussions, the coalition issued a statement declaring, “The time has come for women to rise and lead.”

The coalition highlighted that the struggle for one-third representation for women in India's legislative bodies has been ongoing for nearly three decades. Members argued that the current framework, which links the implementation of the law to a future Census and delimitation exercise, has effectively postponed women’s political rights indefinitely.

To address these delays, NCWR-Karnataka announced a series of public actions ahead of the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. These actions will include a statewide public consultation and a signature campaign. The coalition aims to pressure lawmakers into decoupling the reservation law from future Census and delimitation delays.

As part of their lobbying efforts, members of the coalition will engage with Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from Karnataka. They will urge these representatives to support amendments that would allow the reservation law to be implemented without any conditions linked to the Census and delimitation.

Additionally, a delegation from the coalition plans to meet with the Karnataka Chief Minister and other state government representatives. The delegation will seek a resolution in the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to demand the immediate implementation of the Act.