International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Women Reservation Act 2023 and Women Empowerment

Women’s empowerment has been heard since 1980s throughout the globe. The UN’s Third World Conference on Women in 1985 defines the term ‘women empowerment’. In India it was started in 1840s by Savitribai Phule by establishing girl’s school. The political movement for women has been referred as feminist movement and this was the initial stage for women empowerment. Women empowerment is handing over the decision making to women. Women empowerment may have seven components like self-respect, power to control oneself decision and rights, power to make decision inside and outside the house, right to access to resources and opportunities, ability to influence the social, economic and political courses, right to be elected, and right to determined choices in free will. Women empowerment seeks to raise status through education and participation in political affairs. Women’s Reservation Act 2023 gave 1/3 of seat reserve at Lok Sabha, and State Legislative Assembly. This act is a pro-active step towards gender equality, increasing women participation in decision making or politics and empowerment. The attempt were made in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2008 to make women reservation in the quest for women empowerment; then successfully comes up in 2023 in form Women’s Reservation Act. The argument is will this act can be a bludgeon for women empowerment in a patriarchal society imbedded with religious norms of women as a supporter to husband or the way around.