Punjab government resolution for 33% women reservation in Parliament

The Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a landmark resolution in December 2018 urging the Government of India to enact the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies. The resolution reflected the state’s commitment to promoting gender equality and political empowerment of women at all levels of governance.

Background and Context

The demand for women’s reservation in legislative bodies has been a longstanding issue in Indian politics. The Women’s Reservation Bill (108th Constitutional Amendment Bill) was first introduced in 1996 to reserve one-third of all seats in Parliament and state assemblies for women. Although the Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, it lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.
Punjab, a state where women have historically been underrepresented in politics, joined other progressive states in advocating for the revival of this Bill. The move was part of a larger national and international discourse on gender inclusivity in political institutions, aligning with India’s commitments under Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality.

Introduction of the Resolution

The resolution was introduced and supported by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh during a session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly in Chandigarh on 14 December 2018. It was unanimously adopted by the House, reflecting bipartisan consensus across political parties.
The Chief Minister emphasised that women constitute nearly 50% of the population but continue to be grossly underrepresented in decision-making positions, both in Parliament and in state assemblies. The resolution called upon the Union Government to take immediate steps to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament to ensure equitable participation of women in governance.

Key Features of the Resolution

1. 33% Reservation for Women: The resolution urged the central government to implement a 33% quota for women in both the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
2. Constitutional Amendment: It requested the Union Government to reintroduce and enact the Women’s Reservation Bill (108th Amendment), which would constitutionally guarantee representation for women.
3. Inclusive Representation: The resolution highlighted the need to ensure that the proposed reservation includes women from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), ensuring equitable representation across all social strata.
4. Promotion of Gender Equality: It reaffirmed Punjab’s commitment to achieving gender equality in political participation, in line with national policy frameworks and international conventions such as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).

Legislative Support and Political Consensus

The resolution received support from all members of the House, including representatives from the Indian National Congress (INC), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Several women legislators from different parties expressed their views during the debate, highlighting the persistent gender gap in political representation and the need for structural reforms to empower women politically.
Punjab’s Assembly thus became one of the few legislative bodies in India to unanimously endorse women’s political reservation, setting an example for other states to follow.

Statistical Context

• As of 2018, women constituted less than 12% of the Lok Sabha and about 9% in state assemblies nationwide.
• In the Punjab Legislative Assembly, out of 117 seats, only 6 were held by women, indicating a significant gender imbalance.
• Implementation of 33% reservation would result in approximately 181 seats for women out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and around 1,370 seats in all state assemblies across India.

These statistics underscored the urgency of enacting legislative reforms to improve women’s participation in policymaking.

Rationale and Importance

The resolution’s rationale was based on the following considerations:

• Democratic Inclusion: Enhancing women’s representation strengthens democracy by ensuring diverse perspectives in governance.
• Social Justice: Political empowerment contributes to gender equality in education, employment, and social welfare.
• Policy Impact: Greater female participation in legislatures leads to more inclusive policymaking on issues like health, education, and social welfare.
• Representation at All Levels: The resolution was also intended to inspire similar reforms in local bodies, panchayats, and urban municipal councils, where Punjab already has a 50% reservation for women.

Impact and Reactions

The Punjab Government’s resolution was widely welcomed by civil society groups, women’s organisations, and political commentators. It was viewed as a strong statement of solidarity with women’s empowerment movements across India.
National media hailed it as a progressive step by a state government to push for parliamentary action on a Bill that had been dormant for nearly a decade. Women’s rights activists in Punjab, including members of self-help groups and panchayati institutions, lauded the decision as a reaffirmation of their constitutional rights.
The resolution was forwarded to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and the Parliament of India for consideration, urging immediate legislative action.

Relation to National Developments

Punjab’s resolution came at a time when the demand for the Women’s Reservation Bill was gaining renewed momentum. States like Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal had already expressed similar support.
Later, in 2023, the central government introduced and passed the Constitution (106th Amendment) Bill, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies — fulfilling the demand articulated in resolutions like Punjab’s.
Thus, Punjab’s 2018 resolution was an early and crucial expression of state-level advocacy that contributed to national political consensus on women’s representation.

Significance

The Punjab Government’s resolution holds enduring significance as a symbol of progressive governance and gender inclusion. It reinforced the idea that meaningful democracy requires equitable participation by women in lawmaking and leadership.
By taking this stand, Punjab positioned itself as a forerunner among Indian states advocating for women’s political empowerment, and as an active partner in the national effort to achieve gender-balanced governance.