It was not political parties but the male parliamentarians within parties who were not keen on getting the women's reservation bill passed, Rajasthan governor Margaret Alva said here on Saturday.
During an informal interaction with journalists at the Raj Bhavan here on the occasion on the International Women's day, Ms. Alva denied that the women's reservation bill was not seeing any progress.
“That is not true...the bill has been tabled in the Rajya Sabha so it will not lapse even when the Lok Sabha is dissolved,” she said.
“The lack of will is not among political parties...but among the male parliamentarians who don’t want to leave their chairs,” said the governor.
Ms. Alva was all praise for women Chief Ministers Mamata Bannerjee, Jayalalithaa and former U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati.
“I was watching Mamata Bannerjee's interview on TV and she seemed so clear about what she had to say and do...I believe leadership is all about standing up for what you believe in,” she said.
“Today is a day when we have a lot to remember...the struggles that women have been through...we must also keep in mind those women who still have a long way to go to achieve freedom and empowerment,” said the governor.
“As a woman, I have fought many battles...I won some and lost some but I have no regrets,” said Ms. Alva.
Asked if she had made any specific recommendations with regard to women in schedule V areas, in her report presented at the Governors' conference in New Delhi last month, Ms. Alva said she had drawn attention to the lack of women wardens in residential schools/hostels in tribal areas.
When asked if women's safety would get a boost in Rajasthan with men at the helm—her as the governor and Vasundhara Raje as the Chief Minister, she said it was not something that could be achieved in the short term.
