Participating a session of 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) here on Tuesday, Indian parliamentarian Kartikeya Sharma strongly advocated the need of gender equality and a society free from violence against women.
Kartikeya Sharma is attending the IPU programme as a part of 12-member Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh. The Rwandan parliament is hosting the 5-day 145th IPU, began on Tuesday. The meeting is being attended by more than a thousand delegates from 120 IPU member parliaments including India, including 60 presidents and vice-presidents.
While speaking the session ‘‘Gender-sensitive parliaments: Parliaments free from sexism, harassment and violence against women”, the young MP said, “In India, the principle of gender equality is enshrined in our Constitution. The Parliament of India has also enacted several progressive laws to protect women against discrimination, violence, atrocities and also to eradicate social evils.”
He acknowledged that the data regrettably tell us there is still a lot of work needs to be done for a gender-sensitive Parliament. “It is high time for introspection among us to make Parliament free from sexism, harassment and violence against
women.”
However, the Indian government’s efforts to make our Parliament gender sensitive and the society as a whole had a large part of Kartikeya Sharma’s maiden speech in the world forum. He said, “The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provided for reservation of 33 per cent of seats for women in the local bodies of governance that is in the Panchayats and Municipal Bodies.”
“It also provides for at least one-third reservation for women to the office of Chairperson in these bodies. Some of the Indian States have already raised the reservation level up to 50 per cent to provide for still wider participation,” he further added, “I am also happy to inform that over 46 per cent of the total elected representatives in Panchayats and Municipal
Bodies are women.”
He mentioned that the current 17th Lok Sabha returned a record 78 women members to the Lok Sabha, the highest ever representation for Indian Lok Sabha. The MP also said that the government ensured gender-sensitive facilities for women members such as crèche and Ladies’ Lounge. “We also have a Complaints Committee for Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees,” he added.
“In the current Lok Sabha, Hon’ble Speaker, Shri Om Birla has taken initiatives to enable women members to effectively participate in the deliberations of the House. In the initial Sessions of the House, out of the 46 first time elected women MPs, 42 spoke during Zero Hour,” he said. Kartikeya Sharma also said that it is the duty of a member of parliament to ensure a conducive environment, free of sexism and sexual harassment and violence against women.
“To achieve this, it requires first and foremost having a strong commitment at the highest political level and change of mind-sets,” he opined.
The young MP informed the attending members, “Today under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and India has moved from a paradigm of women’s development to women-led development. I am proud to say that we are moving with the vision of a new India where women are equal partners in fast paced and sustainable national development. I take pride in saying that we have just elected a woman as the President of India.”
Kartikeya Sharma said, ”I appreciate the IPU’s new report on sexism, harassment and violence against women Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff in Parliaments around the world, which provides important data and examples of good parliamentary practices.”
