The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, today highlighted India’s experience of women’s participation in governance across the three-tier democratic framework, comprising Parliament at the Union level, State Legislatures, and Local Self-Government institutions.

 

Addressing a session of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi, Mr Harivansh noted that nearly 1.5 million women currently serve as elected representatives in local self-governing bodies, describing it as the largest experiment in women’s political representation anywhere in the world. He further highlighted that women-led local bodies demonstrate higher levels of transparency, closer monitoring, and stronger accountability.

 

The Deputy Chairman stated that the 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies reaffirms India’s long-term commitment to gender balance in parliamentary representation. He added that with the increasing participation of women across all three tiers of governance, the focus has gradually shifted from women’s development to women-led development.