April 19, 2026 07:36 am (IST)
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Quick passage of women's reservation bill needed: Sonia Gandhi on IWD
New Delhi, Mar 8 (IBNS) Congress President Sonia Gandhi, speaking at a special intervention to mark International Women's Day (IWD) in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, said that the Women's Reservation Bill needs immediate attention.
She said that the bill is "long-awaited" and sought an early passage to the bill that would reserve one-third of the legislative seats for women, according to media reports. She also said that maximum governance meant giving women their rights.
The much-discussed women's reservation bill was first introduced by the Deve Gowda government on September 12, 1996.
However, the bill's passage has been mired in controversies.
In 2010, the bill was approved by the Rajya Sabha during the Congress-led regime. But failed to make it to the 15th Lok Sabha whose term lapsed in the meantime.
Sonia Gandhi also pointed out that it was a proud moment for the Congress to have given the country the first woman prime minister and the only one so far, according to media reports.
Najma Heptulla, one of the senior women lawmakers in the House, veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni, Sasikala Pushpa of AIADMK also spoke about the women's reservation bill and the need to table it soon.
Speaking on the occasion actor Hema Malini said in parliament that every girl should be allowed to dream big just like boys.
Prime minister Narendra Modi, during his motion of thanks to President Pranab Mukherjee's budget session address had said that only women members should speak in parliament on March 8.
Currently, there are 66 women MPs in the 544-member Lok Sabha and 31 women MPs in the 241-member Rajya Sabha.
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