Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 21 : Hundreds of women led by the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) marched to Lok Bhawan in Shimla on Tuesday and later proceeded to Raj Bhawan, where they submitted a memorandum addressed to the President and Prime Minister through the Governor, demanding immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Act.
The association urged the Centre not to link the implementation of the Act with the completion of the Census and delimitation exercise, calling for the removal of such conditions.
The protest was part of a nationwide campaign by women's organisations seeking the immediate enforcement of the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. Along with the memorandum, the delegation also submitted signatures collected during a statewide campaign in Himachal Pradesh.
Speaking to ANI after the march, Falma Chauhan, State Secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Himachal Pradesh, said the coalition of women's organisations across the country has a single demand, which is the immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Act in its original form.
"Our only demand is that the 33 per cent Women's Reservation Act should be implemented as it is. The law was passed by the Central Government in 2023 under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, but even after three years it has not been enforced. We want the government to implement it during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament," Chauhan told ANI.
She said women's organisations had already submitted memoranda to political parties a few days ago and had also conducted a signature campaign across Himachal Pradesh, which was now being forwarded to the Prime Minister through the Governor.
Chauhan alleged that the conditions attached to the implementation of the law, including the completion of the national Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise, were delaying its enforcement.
"The government should amend the Constitution to remove the conditions related to Census and delimitation, including the provisions inserted under Article 334A. These conditions should be withdrawn so that the law can be implemented immediately for the next Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections," she said.
According to Chauhan, if the legislation had already been implemented, women's representation in Parliament would have been significantly higher.
"Instead of only 77 women MPs, nearly 123 women could have been elected to Parliament. In Himachal Pradesh, only three women are members of the Legislative Assembly today. Had the Act been implemented, around 23 women would have been elected to the 68-member Assembly, ensuring greater participation in policymaking," she said.
Questioning the timeline for implementation, Chauhan argued that there was no certainty over when the Census or the delimitation process would be completed.
"The country is vast. Nobody knows how long the Census and delimitation exercises will take. Linking the implementation of the Act to these conditions shows that the government's intention is not to implement it at the earliest," she alleged.
She said women's organisations across India would continue their agitation until the law is enforced.
"Our movement will continue. A delegation from Himachal Pradesh will participate in the nationwide programme in Delhi on the 10th. Women from across the country have already been observing a chain hunger strike there, and our campaign will continue until the Act is implemented," Chauhan said.
Appealing to the Governor to press the Centre for immediate action, Chauhan said women were not seeking charity but demanding their constitutional rights.
"Women constitute nearly half of the country's population and also account for a larger share of voters. We are not asking for charity; we are demanding our rights. We have urged the Governor to impress upon the Central Government that the Women's Reservation Act should be implemented immediately and in its original form," she added.
The protest in Shimla formed part of a coordinated nationwide campaign by women's organisations demanding that the Women's Reservation Act be enforced without any further delay or preconditions.