| Only 43 women members in 545-member Lok Sabha: Speaker |
| Kolkata, Dec 20: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today regretted that the 545-member Lower House in Parliament has the representation of only 43 women members, which constituted only 8.75 per cent of the total strength against the demand for 33 per cent representation for them in the House.He was making an indirect reference to the Women’s Reservation Bill while inaugurating ‘Vidyasagar Mela’, a fair aimed at women’s emancipation.”More surprisingly still we have to make legislation to contain assault on women even after 60 years of Independence,” Chatterjee said, while stressing the need for empowerment of women for real progress of the nation.
“We cannot say a society has advanced until and unless the status of women, who share a major part of it, is elevated and they are truly honoured,” Chatterjee said. “Even after sixty years of Independence we have to call for emancipation of women by spreading education among them, and reminding them about their rights in society,” Chatterjee said. The fornight-long fair, named after legendary educationist and social reformer Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, is organised every year jointly by Bangiya Swaksharata Prasar Samity and Vidyasagar Foundation for literacy and empowerment of women. “Education among women and their economic empowerment can only strengthen the development process,” the Speaker added. Bureau Report |