Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said women would go beyond the 33 per cent reservation provided for them in state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha, and eventually account for more than half of leadership positions in government and public institutions.
Addressing a two-day capacity-building workshop for women legislators organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Faridabad, Birla said women had been change-makers throughout India's history and were now leading across social, political, government and private sectors.
"There is already 33 per cent reservation, but in the coming time, women will lead beyond that percentage in the states, legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha," Birla said.
He said women legislators should play a greater role in policy-making and lawmaking rather than being viewed only as beneficiaries of government schemes.
"The time has now come not merely to say that the government is giving something to women or that the government is working towards women's empowerment. Women themselves will make policies, formulate schemes and make laws," he said.
Birla said women's representation in various services had also increased and expressed confidence that women would constitute more than half of the leadership in the country's and states' services and institutions within the next decade.
"I say from this platform that within the next 10 years, women will constitute more than 50 per cent of the leadership in the country's and states' services and institutions," he said.
He urged women legislators to strengthen their understanding of parliamentary procedures, policy-making, legislation and budgets, and use their positions to promote inclusive governance.
NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said women's meaningful participation in governance was essential for building an inclusive and equitable society.
"Women legislators bring valuable perspectives and lived experiences to the process of policy-making and public decision-making," she said.
She said women legislators were contributing not only to issues concerning women but also to areas such as education, health, economy, technology, environment, infrastructure and good governance.
"Women's empowerment is not a separate agenda; it is a key part of the national development agenda," she added.
The two-day workshop, held under the NCW's "She is a Changemaker" initiative, focuses on strengthening the political and legislative capabilities of women representatives.
(With inputs from PTI)