Women's Groups Demand Immediate Quota Rollout, Plan Nationwide Dharna from July 20

A broad coalition of women's organisations has launched a renewed push for the immediate implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies , arguing that the constitutional guarantee should not be tied to the delayed census and the proposed delimitation exercise.

Speaking under the banner of the National Coalition for Women's Reservation (NCWR) , activists announced a nationwide campaign beginning on July 20 , the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament . The campaign will include a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and similar demonstrations across states and districts, with organisers planning to continue protests throughout the session.

Social activist Shabnam Hashmi said women should not have to wait for Parliament to be expanded before receiving representation. "We want space in this Parliament," she asserted, urging the government to introduce a constitutional amendment to remove the provision linking the quota's implementation to the census and delimitation process.

Activists including Anjali Bharadwaj , Jagmati Sangwan , and Annie Raja alleged that the women's reservation law was being used to advance the politically contentious delimitation exercise. They demanded greater transparency and called on the government to place any proposed legislation in the public domain for public consultation.

The coalition said it would meet Members of Parliament in their constituencies, conduct awareness programmes across the country, and organise a conference of women MPs, largely from opposition parties, to build support for the demand.

Parliament passed the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 , also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam , providing for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, the law states that the quota will take effect only after the first census conducted following the Act and the subsequent delimitation exercise. With the decennial census pending since 2021, women's groups say the linkage could result in an indefinite delay and are pressing for immediate implementation.