In India Nun salutes men for passing women’s bill

(March 11, 2010) A Catholic nun leader in India says the passage of a bill reserving parliamentary seats for women is “a great example” of growing gender sensitivity in the country. “Men deciding for women’s advancement is a great achievement in India’s male-dominated society,” said Sister Lilly Francis. The new law would set aside 33 percent of seats in parliament and state legislative assemblies. The Rajya Sabha or the upper house of Parliament passed the controversial Women’s Reservation Bill on March 9. The bill, which has been pending for 14 years, now requires the approval of the Lok Sabha or the lower house, as well as state legislative assemblies. Sister Francis, secretary of the Indian bishops’ women’s department, says the “bill has to get through and it will” to give women a greater role in the country’s decision making process. The 63-year-old Salesian nun credited male parliamentarians for passing the bill in the upper house, which has only 21 women among its 223 members. The larger Lok Sabha has only 59 women among its 543 members. Sister Francis pointed out that the bill’s success has brought “great joy” among women in the country irrespective of their political, religious and social backgrounds. “This is a historic moment for women in India who have experienced an unprecedented sense of togetherness these days,” she said.