Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 27th Session (1-12 May 2017) on Women's Economic and Political Participation : 3rd UPR of India. [Geneva, 4 May 2017] Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 27th Session (1-12 May 2017)..
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Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 27th Session (1-12 May 2017) on Women's Economic and Political Participation : 3rd UPR of India. [Geneva, 4 May 2017]

Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 27th Session (1-12 May 2017) on Women’s Economic and Political Participation : 3rd UPR of India. [Geneva, 4 May 2017]

I will now be responding to the women’s economic and political participation issues that were raised. Government of India aims at providing for reservation of one-third seats for women in the Lower House of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies. This requires consensus among all the political parties. At present, there are 1.4 million directly Elected Women Representatives at the lowest level of functioning in the country. Only 45 women contested Parliamentary elections in 1957. This number has now risen to 668 in 2014 parliamentary elections.

2. Every company now incorporated in India has to have at least one woman on its Board of Directors. Many incentives are given for loans and skill development for women. Reservations exist for women and girl students in many courses for admissions as well as scholarships. Digital literacy and financial inclusion of women are on top of the agenda of the Government. Another example is that Gender Budgeting is now prevalent in all federal departments.

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