Comments on: The Women’s Reservation Bill: Will it serve its purpose?

By: Kirk Story

Kirk Story — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:58:08 +0000

I’m all for the Women’s Reservation bill. Unlike our esteemed Econ professor, I see a need to implement social constructionism at a policy level to counteract decades or centuries of unofficial discrimination. I feel social constructionism in the US has merit, despite the inherent inequity of its practice. We so often forget the socio-historic roots of peoples situation. Those in love with the free market will use rent control as one of their favorite examples of government interference. In this case, and on an ethics level, we need to step back and ask ourselves, “how did this person or this group of people find themselves in disproportionate poverty? The same applies to the Women’s Reservation bill. Yes it’s retroactive and seemingly unfair, but what precipitated its foundation? I’m fine with giving the oppressed a leg up- because often the situation they find themselves in is a product of socially pervasive inequities.

By: Danielle Steussy

Danielle Steussy — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:07:47 +0000

Excellent post, Jordan. You bring up a really important topic. I agree with you that the bill is a step in the right direction but also that this isn’t really a fix of any sort. It doesn’t directly target the problem of discrimination or the real underlying issue of why women are so inferior in the first place. It’s difficult to change someone’s mindset, much less a good part of the population.

Ultimately, it will take time, a change in mindset, as well as the law to give women, especially female politicians, in India the respect and voice they deserve. Look at women’s and minorities’ rights in the United States and how they evolved. It took years and years for people to accept that women and minorities should be equal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped but people had to be willing to believe that the act was the right thing to do. We’re still even struggling with this issue to this day in some parts of the country.

Right now, in the United States, we’re going through the same situation as we did 50 years ago with equal rights for homosexuals. There is a lot of resistance, especially in the religious communities and with the older generation, to allow homosexuals to have the same marriage rights as a straight couple. More younger people tend to support the equal rights and it will only take a matter of time for their mindsets become the majority. It takes time to achieve justice because the mindsets have to be cycled through.

My point is that generations to come will realize the importance of equal rights for women in India. When that happens, more women will be willing to take on the role of a politician and be accepted as a public figure. The law helps push it along in that direction, but it’s not as effective as it could be and doesn’t tackle the real issue at hand. Again, good post and a great topic to discuss.

By: Tim Lynds

Tim Lynds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:07:45 +0000

I agree that it is good that India recognizes and is trying to solve the problems associated with gender discrimination, but ‘quotas’ often lead to unintended consequences. Just as Jason alluded to, quotas such as set forth in this bill can lead to lesser qualified individuals getting the job. I am not implying in any way that Indian women are less effective in politics than men, but that quotas lead to smaller pools of candidates that may or may not include the best of the best.

Good post. It brings the Affirmative Action debate to the table.

By: John Barry

John Barry — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:19:31 +0000

Great article and post Jordan! It raises a lot of interesting considerations. From the sounds of it, having women in these seats would bring about many positive changes to India. Currently, one of the biggest challenges India faces is its poor infrastructure which makes it difficult and inefficient to get goods across the country, particularly in rural areas. Indian women appear to be more willing to fight for these public services which had a tremendous amount to do with America’s economic success. This bill does arouse two concerns for me though. Will this new law mean that a candidate who is not sufficiently prepared for a position gets it in favor of a more qualified representative? And, does this bill run the risk of adversely impacting the close-knit, family-oriented Indian culture?

By: Jason Silver

Jason Silver — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:51:46 +0000

This is a great article that shows how Indian politics is seeking to involve as many people and opinions as possible. It seems like this bill forces change in India as opposed to letting the social climate adjust at its own pace. If there is one thing I know about change, it is that people don’t like it. By passing this bill, I’m sure that many people feel alienated. If this bill imposes strict quotas, who is to say that these women are or are not ready for these positions? Although this bill is very noble, is India ready to change this quickly? Are Indian women ready to step into positions dominated by men? We shall see in the coming years.