Samarkand, Sep 10 (IANS): At the 12th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand, BJP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha highlighted India’s transition from women’s development to women-led development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Addressing a session on ‘Ensuring Women’s Political Rights’, Chadha presented India’s position on the need to expand women’s participation in democratic governance, stressing that women should not be restricted to exercising their right to vote but should also be empowered to participate in decision-making and governance.
Speaking at the conference, Chadha said, “In India, we have seen that under the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has made a deliberate shift from women’s development to women-led development. That means a woman is not merely seen as a beneficiary of policy; she is an active account holder, an entrepreneur, an elected representative, and a decision maker.”
The BJP MP said India’s progress in women’s political participation could be viewed at three important levels — the ballot, the grassroots and the highest levels of decision-making.
Speaking about women’s participation at the ballot level, he highlighted, “In India’s 2024 general elections, there were more than 476 million registered women voters, and women’s turnout was roughly 67 per cent — slightly higher than men’s turnout, actually. This was the second general election in succession in which women’s participation exceeded that of men. Indian women are not waiting at the doors of democracy; they are helping determine its direction.”
Moving to the grassroots level, Chadha pointed to the substantial presence of women in India’s Panchayati Raj institutions, which represent the third tier of governance.
He said India has around 1.45 million elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions, accounting for approximately 46 per cent of all elected representatives at that level.
“Twenty-one Indian states have gone beyond the constitutional minimum provision of having 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats. These women are not just symbols of office holders. They lead communities, prepare local plans, and deliver public service,” he added.
At the highest level of political decision-making, the BJP leader cited the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women Reservation Bill, as a landmark step towards greater representation of women in Parliament and state legislatures.
He said the legislation creates a constitutional framework for providing one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, describing it as an important step towards ensuring women’s participation in key decision-making institutions.
“This does not merely mean representation; it’s the voice, the authority, and the decision-making power being given to women,” Chadha said.
Concluding his address, the Rajya Sabha member said, “India’s message from Samarkand is simple: do not only ask women to vote, enable them to govern. Give them a seat, give them authority, and do not only speak of empowerment, but also build institutions that make it irreversible,” he said.
