“One is not born a woman but becomes one” – Simone de Beauvoir What do you understand by this statement, keeping the situations faced by women in past, in mind? Do you agree? Do you think that this ...
Women's Reservation Bill 2023 provides 33% reservation for women in state legislature and parliament. The main aim is to empower women through political representation in Indian society. Major challenges in implementing the Women's Reservation Bill: The primary challenge is Delimitation which is a pRead more
Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 provides 33% reservation for women in state legislature and parliament. The main aim is to empower women through political representation in Indian society.
Major challenges in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill:
The primary challenge is Delimitation which is a process of redrawing the boundaries of both parliament and state legislative assemblies. This process is done every few years after taking the census to ensure that no delegates are under-represented or overrepresented. The main concern in delimitation is that it is based on population parameters. It may end up with more seats occupied by northern states like Uttar Pradesh. Despite contributing 35% of GDP, southern states like Kerala will occupy less number of seats in parliament.
The other challenge is the Triple Test which was suggested by both the Government and supreme court mandatorily before OBC reservation in local bodies. The process of the triple test is so long. However, it does not apply to political reservations for SC/STs under Article 334. It applies only in the case of quota for Government employment. Also, the women’s reservation bill could continue the existing gender disparities in society. Regarding the participation of women in Rajya Sabha and important committees were not discussed in this bill. This could be a bigger challenge.
These challenges need to be addressed to implement a women’s reservation bill acceptably.
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Simon De Beauvoir was a French philosopher and feminist. Beauvoir mentions this quote in her Magnum Opus book 'The 'Second Sex' published in 1949. The work discusses the myriad of women-centric issues, inspiring equality and liberation of women from the shackles of economic dependency. Beauvoir tracRead more
Simon De Beauvoir was a French philosopher and feminist. Beauvoir mentions this quote in her Magnum Opus book ‘The ‘Second Sex’ published in 1949. The work discusses the myriad of women-centric issues, inspiring equality and liberation of women from the shackles of economic dependency.
See lessBeauvoir traces the status of women from beginning till modern times through the methods of historical materialism and research. This refers to the influence of social and economic conditions on shaping the history and fortunes of women. The statement stands as the most historic argument for challenging the patriarchal code. By claiming “One is not born a woman; one becomes a woman, she argues that a woman is not born; she is gradually shaped by social and cultural factors. Her upbringing in certain parameters leads her to the process of ‘becoming’ a woman. Women acquire their roles from men and other members of society; biology has no role in this. Hence, womanhood is something that is attained by a woman rather than something innate.
Beauvior’s stance also contributes to gender studies in questioning the construction of gender identity. The main issue lies in the social and physiological conditioning of women, which psychologically forces her to subscribe to her assigned ‘role’ as a woman.
Physiological and social conditioning, both classical and operant, leads to changes in behavioural alterations in one’s identity. A woman is conditioned by her physiology, by virtue of her ability to bear children and by society. This is determined by conglomeration of external and internal agents, such as her father and teacher, in her milieu. She is also conditioned by societal expectations, rules, and treatment by institutions in both favorable and unfavorable ways. The expectations of society, regulations, and the favorable and negative treatment she receives from institutional or structural entities all condition her. This obligation leads to internalization of patriarchy by women further enhancing female subjugation. In present times, where women have united in raising their voice against all kinds of patriarchal-structural violences, it stands as a relevant argument to decipher the process of women’s identity formation, who are now dismantling the traditional norms and standards.