The Modi-led Government is working on mandating 50 per cent reservation for women in all the urban local bodies to promote their participation in urban policy making. Stressing on the need for imparting gender perspective to designing urban policies and programmes, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that the Government is keen to enhance representation of women in urban local bodies by reserving 50 per cent of the seats for them through an amendment to the Constitution.
“We have already held one round of consultations with the States. We would like to take this to its logical conclusion,” he said while inaugurating a two-day International Conference on Gender and Urban Poverty in the Capital. Speaking about the need for reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures, Naidu said the Centre seeks to build a consensus in this regard.
He stressed on the need for urban policies to be guided by women’s perspectives, as they “are more vulnerable to harshness of urban inequities and struggle more in terms of job security, pay parity, access to credit, suitability of working conditions, access to safe water, education and healthcare.” “Different facets of urban poverty like income, working conditions, access to basic infrastructure, time, social status, violence, sanitation, health, education etc, affect women more adversely,” he noted.
On the central government’s gender sensitive initiatives, Naidu said, “Under the housing for all scheme, joint ownership of houses to be built will be promoted besides giving overriding preference to women headed households, single women under different components like Credit linked Subsidy and Rental Housing.” Voicing concern over safety of women in urban areas, he said, “The Government is focusing on promoting quality and reliable public transport under various schemes”.
Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Secretary Nandita Chatterjee said urban women are susceptible to residential, occupational and social vulnerabilities and an effort is being made to improve their skill and asset base to improve their livelihood opportunities.