Retired judge expresses concern over inordinate delay in implementing women’s quota

Retired judge of Telangana High Court G. Radharani has expressed concern over the inordinate delay in the implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and legislative bodies.

“Will the reservation for women be implemented in 2029 elections,” she questioned. She was speaking at a seminar organised by the Constitution Protection Forum here on Sunday.

Justice Radharani, chairperson of the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, said reservations for women were given in legislative assemblies in countries around the world as early as 1920. In countries like Rwanda and Congo, more than 60% of women were in legislative assemblies while it was more than 25% in European countries. “It is a matter of concern that women’s representation has not crossed 14% in our country even after so many decades of independence,” she said.

This, she added, was because of the male-dominated political parties which felt that their powers would be lost by giving 33% reservation to women in Parliament and State legislatures. “They (these parties) want to link delimitation of the constituencies to the population census without implementing reservation even after a law was enacted in 2023,” she said.

She said it was not proper to leave delimitation to the legislature by setting up a committee as there was possibility of legal issues delaying women’s reservation further.

Constitutional law expert Madabhushi Sridhar said that women would achieve their right to 33% reservation only if they learnt about the constitution, laws and politics and organize movements.

Senior advocate of the Telangana High Court G. Vidyasagar presided over the event.