By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:In the 2024 general elections, 74 women were elected to the Lok Sabha – 13.6 per cent of the total strength of the House. Over 14.5 lakh women are elected representatives in India’s Panchayat Raj institutions, which is about 46 per cent of the total representation. Women not only participate in India’s institutions, but also work effectively and lead. Efforts are underway to enact the ‘Nari Shakti Bandhan Act, 2023’ through the 106th Amendment to the Constitution of India to provide one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, said Speaker Smt. Surma Padhi.
Addressing the Women’s Parliament of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Speaker Padhi said that women’s self-help groups have empowered millions of women in Odisha. Access to safe drinking water, credit and digital services have helped women become entrepreneurs. When a woman is involved in decision-making, she brings not only the perspective of a woman but also the experience of a citizen, a community and a nation. The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Network represents over 6,000 women from over 180 national and regional parliaments. The Speaker said that while its scope is impressive, there is still much work to be done to bridge the representation gap.
The conference was attended by women speakers, MPs, MLAs and ministers from the states, while Uttarakhand Speaker Rita Khanduri, Andhra Pradesh MP Smt. Purandeswari and West Bengal MP Samajwadi Banerjee participated in the keynote speeches.
In this program, along with Speaker Smt. Padhi, Deputy Speaker Shri Bhavanishankar and Secretary Shri Satyabrat Raut have also visited Cape Town.
