The Indian cabinet has approved a proposal to increase reservation for women in urban local bodies (ULBs) from one third to fifty percent. This is one of the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet in New Delhi that promise to give better access to water for women and minorities in India.

The second decision involves the inclusion of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) of the Department of Drinking Water Supply in the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, which was introduced in 2006.

“Increased representation of women is likely to yield significant benefits in terms of higher priority to women’s issues in critical areas of urban governance and service delivery such as water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, education and health,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said, while briefing reporters on the Cabinet decision. Women account for nearly 43.5 per cent of the urban population in the country.

In August 2009, the government had approved 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in gram panchayats (rural local government bodies).

Related news:

• India, Jharkand: women repair handpumps, Source Weekly, 26 Jun 2009
• India, Haryana: no toilet, no wedding campaign having an impact, Source Weekly, 25 Mar 2009

Related web site: Gender and Water Alliance

Source: PIB, 22 Oct 2009 ; Express Buzz, 23 Oct 2009

Tags: gender, governance, policies & legislation, south asia, urban wash, water supply