Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the launch of a large-scale awareness campaign to build public support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, aiming to strengthen women’s representation in legislative bodies.
The campaign will focus on spreading awareness across the state and mobilising public opinion in favour of the proposed legislation, which seeks to provide 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
As part of the initiative, the state government and ruling alliance plan to reach out to women at the grassroots level, including rural and semi-urban areas, to explain the significance of the bill and encourage participation. The outreach effort is expected to include mass engagement programmes and signature drives to demonstrate widespread support.
Fadnavis also criticised opposition parties for blocking the bill, calling their stance regressive and detrimental to women’s political empowerment. He emphasised that the campaign aims to create a strong public mandate that will push for the bill’s passage in the future.
The proposed legislation, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, has been projected as a landmark reform to enhance gender equality in governance. If implemented, it is expected to significantly increase women’s participation in decision-making processes at both national and state levels.
The announcement signals a renewed political push in Maharashtra to revive the women’s quota debate, with the government positioning the awareness campaign as a key step toward ensuring broader acceptance and eventual implementation of the bill.
