The missing link in political empowerment of women

For all their stirring speeches while passing the women’s reservation bill in Parliament in September last year—454 for, two against—political parties across the board have gone back to their usual stinginess in fielding women candidates.

Nobody knows when the women’s reservation bill will kick in. A long process must be completed first: A census, followed by redrawing constituencies and how many representatives each gets, based on population. Until that happens, proof of intent can be found in the number of women candidates contesting in 2024.