Women's Reservation Act, 2023: Provisions and Background
- The Promise of 33% Reservation: Representation vs. Real Empowerment
- The Ground Reality: The Socio-Economic Status of Indian Women
- Anaemia, Poverty, and Labour: The Struggles of Invisible Heroines
- The Math of Politics: Is This Legislation an Electoral Strategy?
- Representative Accountability: Will Elected Women Bring About Change?
- Social Mindset and Voting Behaviour: Caste, Religion, and Democracy
- The True Measure of Empowerment: Improvements in Living Standards
Legislation vs. Real Change—The Way Forward
Women's Reservation Act 2023 Implemented in India—33% Reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Is this genuine women's empowerment or an electoral strategy? Read an in-depth analysis from the perspective of Justice Markandey Katju.
The Women's Reservation Act in India
By Justice Markandey Katju
The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which became effective from 16.4.2026, provides for 33% (one-third) of seats for women in the Indian Lok Sabha ( the lower House of the Indian Parliament ), State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.
Many people are hailing this new law, regarding it as a positive move for women's empowerment in India, and giving women greater say in political decisions in the country.
However, I regard it as just a ruse, gimmick, stunt, and shenanigan, and much ado about nothing. Let me explain
In many articles, I have always supported women's emancipation and women's empowerment
Most people hero-worship famous political leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Lenin, or brilliant military commanders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon. I, too, admire many of them.
However, my greater heroes are those who remain anonymous. In particular, I salute the brave women of the Indian subcontinent who selflessly and anonymously dedicate themselves to feeding their families and managing their homes on the modest incomes of their husbands or their own earnings. These women perform back-breaking work all day long, including washing clothes, cooking, caring for children, and keeping their homes clean. Additionally, some supplement their family’s income with outside work.
It is estimated that about 57% of Indian women aged between 15 and 49 years are anaemic, which indicates they do not get enough to eat.
Despite this, they often choose to feed their children and husbands before themselves. Should we not admire them? I regard them as our real heroes.
Hence, any move which really improves the lives of our women should be welcomed.
However, that having being said I must also say, which I have often said before, that the test of every political activity is one, and only one : does it raise the standard of living of the ordinary people ? Does it give them better lives ?
From that standpoint, I am afraid the new law will not benefit Indian women at all ( except for the handful who will be elected to our legislatures, and start enjoying the perks of office, and probably start amassing ill gotten wealth for themselves and their families ). Most of our remaining women will continue living in abject poverty and in appalling conditions, with low incomes, lack of healthcare, malnutrition, etc.
Then why was this new law made, one may ask ? The answer can only be that it was made as a vote catching device for elections.
But in fact it will not even achieve that aim. Most Indian women, like most Indian men, have feudal mindsets, and vote on caste and communal considerations, only seeing the caste or religion of the candidate ( or the caste or religion which the candidate's party claims to represent ), and ignore the candidate's merits and whether he/she will really work for their welfare.
The women elected to our legislatures will not really care or do anything for Indian women ( though they may often proclaim and pretend they are doing so ) but will in all likelihood work overtime to fill their own and their families' pockets
I conclude by repeating what I said earlier : this new law is just a stunt, ruse, dupery, sleight of hand, shenanigan, flimflam, legerdemain, skulduggery, and a gimmick.
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman of the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own.)
