A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader’s sexist jab at Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule, MP, recently drew flak at the National Women Legislators’ Conference, Kerala- 2022 here on Thursday.
The conference organised by the State Assembly is being attended by nearly 120 women delegates from various States and Union Territories.
At the first official session on ‘Constitution and Women’s Rights’ on the inaugural day, K. Kanimozhi, MP, said a Bill would be brought against shaming women and making derogatory remarks about them on public platforms.
“It has to stop. It [shaming women] will only strengthen us. It is not going to make us shy away and run back to our homes and back to cooking,” she said referring to the remark made against Ms. Sule. “We will also teach you to cook,” she said.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat urged women lawmakers in Parliament and State Assemblies to ensure a code of conduct that banned sexist comments against women in public life. “Let us come together.” Ms. Karat said that if a political leader spoke about a woman in a way that was degrading, he was degrading all women and democracy too.
The leaders touched upon the Bill pending in Parliament for 33% reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies. Ms. Kanimozhi rued how the Bill was yet to be passed though it was on the election manifesto of most political parties and they supported it. She said she could not understand why the Bill was not getting passed. “Without women being heard, none of the Bills being passed can be recognised,” she said.
Ms. Karat said the situation was such that it would be another 75 years before the 33% reservation for women could be realised. She called upon women lawmakers to work together with a common aim in various areas, like they do on 33% reservation for women. Provisions put under the Directive Principles such as right to livelihood, equal wages, privacy, and health should be included under fundamental rights that were enforceable, she said.
Gujarat Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya; Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri; Puducherry Minister for Transport S. Chandira Priyanga; former Kerala MLA R. Latha Devi; K.K. Rema, MLA; and U. Prathibha, MLA; spoke.
