Working to build consensus on women's quota bill: Naidu

Union Parliament Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday that the government is working on building consensus on the passage of Women's Reservation Bill, which gives 33 percent reservation to women in parliament and state legislatures.

"In last 10 years, we could not have reservation for women at parliament level because there was no consensus. Out government is also moving in the direction of evolving consensus," he said while responding to a discussion over International Women's Day in Lok Sabha.

He hoped that the government will succeed in this regard at the earliest.

"The point is that they could not evolve consensus in 10 years. We are also working in the direction of evolving consensus and I hope we will succeed at the earliest and then we can move forward," he said.

Naidu said providing education to girl child and making women economically stronger is the need of the hour.

"Government of the day has initiated many projects for the welfare of the women. But that alone will not be sufficient. So, first, there has to be a social change; second, there has to be economic empowerment and third, there has to be given political empowerment to women," he said.