NEW DELHI: The BJP manifesto released on Monday promised 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies through a Constitutional amendment.
The party claimed it would ensure ‘overall development’ of women and promote gender equality. It will also legislate a Bill to eliminate practices such as Triple Talaq and Nikah Halala.
“There are dozens of other personal laws that need scrutinising... If they had to go ahead with a 33 per cent reservation, why didn’t they do so in the past five years?” said Kavita Krishnan from the CPI (ML).
If the BJP and Congress manifestos paid equal attention to women empowerment issues, she added that the latter was a much more ‘well-researched’ document.
The party also made a poll promise that it would pay attention to women in the workforce by increasing the participation rate in the next five years. It said it would encourage industries and corporations to generate better employment opportunities for women.
Another important assurance is that women would have access to sanitary pads at Re 1, it said while touching on the subject on menstrual health and hygiene.
The Congress manifesto had said panchayats, municipalities and NGOs would be supported in installing napkin vending machine at schools, colleges and public places and focus on menstrual hygiene by promoting hand-washing and low-cost sanitary napkins.
It also promised increased coverage of its health scheme Ayushman Bharat to its Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers.
However, activists pointed out that the government has not paid heed to their demands of minimum wages.
The other promises include reducing malnutrition by 10 per cent in the next five years, strengthening creche facilities for kids of workers in the unorganised sector.
Blooper in the document
The BJP in its manifesto made an embarrassing error while talking about stricter laws for women’s safety.
“We have... made strict provisions for transferring the laws in order to commit crimes against women,” the manifesto reads.