33% Quota to Drive Women's Political Leadership, says Om Birla

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies will create new opportunities for women to take on greater leadership roles in politics.

He made the remarks on September 7 while inaugurating a two-day All-India Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Gender-Responsive Governance’ organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Faridabad.

Birla said the focus should move beyond simply providing women with support and opportunities. Instead, women should be empowered to actively influence policies, programs and laws that address their needs and aspirations.

He also said women could account for more than 50% of public services in the future. Women representatives in Parliament, State Assemblies, panchayats and municipalities can play a key role in ensuring that policies and laws reflect the realities faced by people at the grassroots.

Key Highlights:

• Om Birla said the 33% women’s reservation will create new opportunities for political leadership
• He called for greater women’s participation in policymaking, governance and public services
• Birla stressed the need for women’s economic and social empowerment to achieve a developed India

Birla further highlighted the role of institutions such as the NCW in identifying emerging challenges faced by women and supporting effective solutions. He stressed the importance of strengthening women’s participation in governance and decision-making.

The economic and social empowerment of women, who make up almost half the population, was vital to India's dream of becoming a developed country, Birla said. All the opportunities that women need for employment, economic independence and social empowerment must be provided for them, he said.

He also called for women lawmakers to disseminate the effective projects and to sensitize women, especially those in vulnerable groups, to the laws and institutional provisions to resolve their issues.

"One-third reservation for women will open new avenues for women in political leadership," he said at an event hosted by the National Commission for Women. The day is not far when they will account for over 50% participation in public services, he added.

A 2023 women reservation law that requires implementation in the delimitation process after the census makes it challenging to implement the law by 2029. The Opposition rejected Government's bid in April for an early implementation.

"The 2026 monsoon session has been kept on ventilator because the home minister is still scrambling around for his super-tainted two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha to get the delimitation bills passed," Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said.