Private bill for 30 per cent quota for women moved in House

New Delhi: With the bill to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures hanging fire, it is evident that Indian politics is not ready for a separate quota for women. But that has not deterred DMK MP Tiruchi Siva from pitching for the reservation of women in government jobs, and even private if the employers so want.   

Mr Siva, an MP from Tamil Nadu, moved the Women’s (Reservation in Workplace) bill in Rajya Sabha on Friday. The private member’s bill seeks 30 per cent reservation for the women in jobs and promotions in establishments owned, controlled, managed or financed by the Central and state governments.

The bill says the private sector may “voluntarily” decide to provide equal employment opportunities to women and the Centre could take steps to incentivise the private sector.

“The promise of equal opportunity for women has lingered as a mere promise in our country since Independence. Though the Constitution has guaranteed these promises in terms of the fundamental right of equality, women are deprived of employment opportunities however much they are qualified and deserving,” according to the statement and objectives of the bill.

“Women in many parts of the country are kept away from active participation in the workplace. The bill aims to ensure that women find a respectful position in the society by bringing an end to the discrimination meted out to them,” it says.

According to the Census 2011, women constitute only 10.93 per cent or 3.37 lakh of the 30.87 lakh Central government workforce. They account for 48.5 per cent or 58.74 crore out of 1.21 crore population.

The situation is very grim in police forces across the country, in which they account for 6.44 per cent and in paramilitary, a paltry 2.28 per cent. The public sector banks are among the very few exceptions where 24 per cent of the employees are women.

Though the number of women in government sector has increased over years, activists complain that the growth is slow and they face discrimination at the time of promotions too.

According to the Census, 67,369 women (2.51%) were in Central government services out of 26.99 lakh employees in 1971. The number rose to 2.91 lakh (7.53%) in 2001 and 3.11 lakh (10.04%) in 2009.

“It is high time that women are unshackled from their discriminatory status in society. Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, even as it allows for State to make special provisions for women,” Mr Siva told this newspaper.

India has been a signatory of the UN and ILO Conventions recognising the equality of the sexes. Further, it has adopted legislations that uphold Equal Remuneration, Maternity Benefits, etc. However, women in many parts of the country are kept away from active participation in the workplace.