Women's Groups Press for Swift Implementation of Women's Reservation Act

Women's organisations, civil society groups, and political party representatives convened in Hyderabad to push for the swift enactment of the Women's Reservation Act, rejecting conditions that tie its rollout to census operations or constituency delimitation exercises.

The State Alliance for Women's Reservation held its meeting at Raja Bahadur Gour Hall in Makhdoom Bhavan, Himayat Nagar, with Shantha Sinha presiding over the gathering.

Participants warned that postponing the Women's Reservation Act would perpetuate the underrepresentation of women in decision-making structures. They appealed to the Union government to move forward with implementation independent of any census or delimitation timeline.

Shantha Sinha stressed the need for women to mobilise against poverty, illiteracy, and inadequate healthcare services. Rama Melkote highlighted how the legislation would advance social justice while expanding women's role in governance systems.

Pashya Padma, a CPI leader, referenced the groundwork laid by veteran activist Geeta Mukherjee in building consensus around the Women's Reservation Bill. She criticised the BJP-led government for stalling the law's implementation by conditioning it on census and delimitation procedures.

The assembly pledged to escalate advocacy efforts for the Women's Reservation Act's adoption. Participants also called on democratic groups nationwide to consolidate their support for advancing women's political representation across India.

Speakers at the event included Professor Surepally Sujatha, Sunitha Deepti, Ashalatha, Rukmini, Puli Kalpana, Sister Lizzy, and Professor Rama Melkote. Delegates from various political organisations were also present, including Kalvakuntla Kavitha, Mallu Lakshmi, V. Sandhya, Sharada, Tripurana Venkataratnam, Arunodaya Vimala, Lakshmi Ragulapalli, and Shantha.