The Indian government has approved a bill reserving 33% of seats for women in the lower house of parliament and state legislative assemblies. The Women's Reservation Bill, first introduced in 1996, was cleared by the cabinet and will be presented during a special session of parliament. Despite making up nearly half of India's registered voters, women currently hold only 15% of parliamentary seats and about 10% in state legislatures. This has placed India at the bottom of global rankings for gender parity in legislative bodies. The bill aims to address this long-standing issue and improve representation for women in the world's largest democracy.
Photo Credit: Naveed Ahmed
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