Sonia Gandhi (Raebareli MP): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this important day - International Women's Day. I also convey my good wishes to you, my good wishes to all my friends, women members of Parliament, all the women of India and all the women of the world. Our history is full of examples of women playing central and important roles in all years of their lives.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, lakhs of women broke with tradition and joined the freedom movement. Way back in August 1928, when women in many countries were fighting for the right to vote, the Congress pledged itself to that right when India became free. When the Constituent Assembly met to give shape to our Constitution, 15 distinguished women made notable contributions to it. Today, we proudly recall them. I have their names but perhaps I would take too long to mention them.
Sumitra Mahajan (Lok Sabha Speaker): Those names can be laid on the Table of the House. We will include them... (Interruptions)
Gandhi: I will mention the names. Those 15 distinguished women were Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Sucheta Kriplani, Hansa Mehta, Renuka Ray, Durgabai Deshmukh, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Purnima Banerjee, Ammu Swaminathan, Dakshayani Velayudhan, Malati Choudhury, Kamla Choudhary, Leela Ray and Annie Mascarene. Today, we also take pride in the fact that we have had a first and only woman prime minister, Indira Gandhi. We also take pride in the fact that we have had the first woman President, Pratibha Patilji and the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumarji. Over the past six and a half decades, women have made many striking achievements in different fields, which is quite remarkable, considering the obstacles they have had faced. However, while we applaud these accomplishments, the fact remains that women continue to be victims of oppression and discrimination.
Madam Speaker, it is, thanks to the vision of Rajiv Gandhi that we have mandatory reservation for women in panchayats and nagar palikas. Today, over 40 per cent of the 40 lakh elected representatives in urban and rural local bodies are women. This, I believe, is nothing short of a revolution. But recent developments are disturbing. On the one hand we celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar and on the other, in some states, the right to contest elections at the local level has been significantly curtailed on educational grounds. So, for no fault of theirs, a very large number of rural women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are being denied their basic Constitutional right. I believe this compels our urgent legislative attention.
Madam Speaker, today is an occasion to celebrate but it is also an occasion to look inwards at ourselves as women. The harsh reality is that the building blocks of discrimination against women lie within the very systems that are supposed to nurture and defend them, namely, the family and the community. Every so often, women end up, and that too for no fault of theirs, as victims of some traditions. Too often, it is the family, it is the community that opts for sex selection that makes distinctions between male and female children when it comes to food, clothes and education; forces girls into early marriage; demands dowry when sons get married; withholds girls' opportunities for employment and independence and denies them their legitimate share of family property. While there is much in our tradition to cherish and to preserve, we must have the courage to confront these social evils and fight against them. We must, as women legislators, join hands with our male colleagues in a concerted campaign to change the mindset that underlines these practices.
Madam Speaker, the philosophy of this government is said to be one of maximum governance, minimum government. I do not quite agree with the minimum government part but let that be. On this occasion, I do have serious problems with the way maximum governance itself is perceived.
Maximum governance is more than just accelerating economic growth. Maximum governance involves expanding space for debate, for disagreement and for the expression of different points of view without inviting retaliation or retribution.
Maximum governance involves giving freedom to civil society, to NGOs and activist groups, often led by women, to carry out campaigns on behalf of those whose voices are seldom heard. Surely, maximum governance does not mean having double standards in relation to women and their rights. Surely, maximum governance means protecting, preserving and strengthening our social and communal fabric. Surely, maximum governance is anchored in the deepening of our democratic and liberal values.
Madam Speaker, surely, maximum governance also means giving us, women, our legitimate due, namely, the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill, and I believe, we can expect in you, Madam Speaker, a strong ally for this cause.
Speech by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on March 8, International Women's Day, in the Lok Sabha
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