The Women's Reservation Bill generated mix reactions among Ahmedabad's youth at a debate on the same organised by the Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) on Thursday evening.
The Women's Reservation Bill generated mix reactions among Ahmedabad's youth at a debate on the same organised by the Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) on Thursday evening. The debate saw intense interactions between those for and against the Bill.
"Women have been shouting about inequality for long. This is their chance for empowerment and more opportunity on a high-level playing field," said environmental engineering student, Nemi Vora, 18, who supported the bill.
According to her, it provides a window of opportunity for gender equality. She further said that more women in government will help address various issues related women. "This (bill) will give women hope in changing their situation and bring about much needed reformation," said Vora.
Another supporter of the bill, vice-resident of AIESEC in Ahmedabad Prakash Iyengar said, "This bill is a one time opportunity for women, who are already working hard at the grassroots level, to break the glass ceiling and facilitate women's empowerment." In contrast, other participants of the debate who opposed the bill said that reservation defeated the talk about equal opportunity.
"I'm against reservation because it does not represent equal opportunity," said Anar Shukla, 29, a project manager with Education Initiative. Shukla said that the bill is a reflection of affirmative action and female proxy candidates may be viewed as 'dummies' or 'props' rather than be judged on the basis of their merit.
"The women will not be chosen because of their intelligence or experience, but because of their gender. I want to be able to choose the person who will speak for me irrespective of the gender," she said. Only one-fifth of the 30 attendees who took part in the debate were women.
The other arguments against the bill included lack of suitable women candidates, effect of motherhood on a female politician's career among others which some youth said would weaken a female candidate's position.
"I was surprised by some of the chauvinistic comments," said Vora who said that many women make it to the top on the basis of pure merit.
However, some were fearful the bill would bring out more Bihar cases where former chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav appointed his illiterate wife, Rabri Devi, to step into his shoes after he was forced to quit office over some corruption cases.
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