Women's Bill a crack in the glass ceiling, Parliament still gender-unequal

The government introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted

India’s Parliament has the least gender diversity among key emerging-market (EM) economies, even though many of the country’s local bodies boast better women representation.

The government introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted. The Bill, which may only come into force in 2029, envisions reserving a third of the seats in the Lok Sabha (LS) and state legislatures for women candidates.

Proponents of the reservation hope the Bill will help break the political glass ceiling in the Indian Parliament.

An analysis of gender representation in parliaments across EM economies shows that India