History of Women's Reservation in Indian Parliament
The demand for 33% reservation for women in Parliament has a long and contested legislative history stretching back to 1996, making the 2023 passage a historic breakthrough after nearly three decades of failed attempts.
- Women's Reservation Bill was first introduced in Parliament in 1996 under the HD Deve Gowda government. It lapsed with the dissolution of that Lok Sabha.
- Reintroduced in 1998, 1999, and 2008 — all attempts failed due to lack of political consensus, particularly over whether a sub-quota for OBC women should be included.
- The Rajya Sabha passed a version of the bill in 2010 under the UPA government, but the Lok Sabha never took it up.
- The 2023 passage is the first time both houses of Parliament passed the bill.
- As of 2026, women hold approximately 14% of Lok Sabha seats (82 of 543) — one of the lower rates among major democracies.
- Global context: Rwanda has the world's highest women's parliamentary representation at 61%; India ranks around 140th globally.
● Tracked since April 12, 2026 · last seen April 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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