Om Birla: Women’s quota to open new avenues for leadership

LOK SABHA Speaker Om Birla expressed optimism that the 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies would create new opportunities for women in political leadership. Birla made these remarks after inaugurating a capacity building workshop focused on gender-responsive governance. The workshop was organized by the National Commission for Women in Faridabad.

This comes as the government strives to push forward the implementation of the women's reservation law before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Despite the government's efforts to amend the law during the Budget Session through a delimitation-linked constitutional amendment, the measure fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.

Birla highlighted the value of sensitivity as a key strength of women's leadership, emphasizing its potential to enable a better understanding of people's concerns and the discovery of effective solutions. He stressed that advancing women's leadership must be a shared commitment, with a focus on increasing women's representation in leadership roles across various aspects of national life.