India's Quota Bill

**Red_Lizard2** · 03-09-10, 10:16 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8557237.stm

The upper house of India's parliament has approved a bill to reserve a third of all seats in the national parliament and state legislatures for women.

The bill was passed with 186 members of the 245-seat house voting in favour. Only one member voted against. Several smaller parties boycotted the vote.

The bill was introduced on Monday amid uproar from opponents, resulting in the suspension of seven MPs on Tuesday.

First proposed in 1996, the bill now has support from India's main parties.

At present women make up just 10% of the lower house (Lok Sabha) of parliament, and significantly fewer in state assemblies...

I have no problem with it as long as it means qualified women are being chosing, and not just any women for the only fact that they are female.

What are your thoughts?

**Consultant** · 03-09-10, 12:39 PM

Iraq's new government has similar provisions requiring 25% of the seats be filled by women.

Meaningless...

They are still the minority and to impose false minimums only takes more of their power away...let a woman get elected because she has a more sound opinion on key issues, not because we only have 29% and we need 33.33% women...

**Potemkine** · 03-09-10, 12:46 PM

Plus, what if the district she is representing doesnt want a women, or one with her current views? Are the people to be disenfranchised as a result?

Loss for democracy

**Red_Lizard2** · 03-09-10, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Plus, what if the district she is representing doesnt want a women, or one with her current views? Are the people to be disenfranchised as a result?

Loss for democracy

I'm assuming India uses a voting system where you vote for the party, thus if you were in a district that doesn't want a women, you'd have to vote for the party against having women in their party for it to happen 100% for sure

**Potemkine** · 03-09-10, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Plus, what if the district she is representing doesnt want a women, or one with her current views? Are the people to be disenfranchised as a result?

Loss for democracy

I'm assuming India uses a voting system where you vote for the party, thus if you were in a district that doesn't want a women, you'd have to vote for the party against having women in their party for it to happen 100% for sure

and thus a huge loss for democracy.

**Toker** · 03-09-10, 01:07 PM

That's fantastic. Probably much easier to bribe the newcomers. :2

**triggerhappy2005** · 03-09-10, 01:13 PM

It's India...who cares?

**Blakeman** · 03-09-10, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Plus, what if the district she is representing doesnt want a women, or one with her current views? Are the people to be disenfranchised as a result?

Loss for democracy

I'm assuming India uses a voting system where you vote for the party, thus if you were in a district that doesn't want a women, you'd have to vote for the party against having women in their party for it to happen 100% for sure

and thus a huge loss for democracy.

Yeah, fill spots with the qualified and folks that get the vote, not with a set amount of a certain sex. Why not encourage women to apply for office instead of forcing a woman into a seat to fill a quota? I don't get it.

**Red_Lizard2** · 03-09-10, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by Blakeman

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Plus, what if the district she is representing doesnt want a women, or one with her current views? Are the people to be disenfranchised as a result?

Loss for democracy

I'm assuming India uses a voting system where you vote for the party, thus if you were in a district that doesn't want a women, you'd have to vote for the party against having women in their party for it to happen 100% for sure

and thus a huge loss for democracy.

Yeah, fill spots with the qualified and folks that get the vote, not with a set amount of a certain sex. Why not encourage women to apply for office instead of forcing a woman into a seat to fill a quota? I don't get it.

I'm guess they feel the parties aren't choosing women to fill the seats they win, thus they feel the need to put in quotas to "make" the parties have to choose women.