Terming it the most transformative revolution for gender justice in our times, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday hailed the newly introduced women’s reservation Bill. Her remarks come a day after the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Ms. Murmu was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day conference of the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) of Asia Pacific organised by the NHRI-India in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Forum.
Also Read | Women’s reservation Bill: BJP criticises Congress; says party playing politics
“We ensured a minimum of 33% reservation for women in local bodies’ elections. What is more, in a pleasant co-incidence, a proposal to provide similar reservation for women in the State Assemblies and national Parliament, is taking a shape now. It will be the most transformative revolution, in our times for gender justice,” she said.
The Union Government introduced a Bill to provide one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, in the new Parliament House on Tuesday. The Bill, however, will not be implemented during the 2024 Lok Sabha election due to the need for a delimitation exercise before its roll-out.
On human rights violations
Speaking on the issue of human rights violations, the President said that over the years, the government has also launched a number of ambitious schemes to ensure basic facilities like housing, toilets, education and health facilities to protect the dignity of the poor.
“I come from a background where I know how privation, poverty and illiteracy make life miserable, with economic and social disparities which are no less violation of human rights as any other form of discrimination,” the President added.
In her inaugural speech, the President maintained that India and other nations of the Asia Pacific are civilisational protectors of human rights and can play a role in evolving an international consensus on related issues. Drawing attention to the issue of climate change impacting human rights, she exhorted to conserve and enrich nature before it is too late.
‘Need for a joint strategy’
NHRC, India, Chairperson Justice Arun Mishra spoke about need for a joint strategy in the the Asia Pacific for the emerging challenges to human rights protection in areas of climate change, child trafficking, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and other crimes in cyberspace, the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence, among others.
He said that the concentration of wealth in a few hands globally is causing a brooding sense of injustice. He also strongly pitched in for ensuring gender justice for women and LGBTQI+ community besides liberalising the concept of reasonable opportunity for the specially-abled.
