Hope for pro-women rights under India’s new government

World Today

India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made history, by appointing the largest number of women to his cabinet. The 2014 general elections in India has resulted in a record 61 women becoming members of the parliament.

This comes at a very sensitive time in India, which has witnessed growing public outrage after a series of brutal and deadly gang-rapes of women.

Indian women, who came out in large numbers to vote for Modi’s government, now expect the new authorities, and their 61 women in power, to return the favor and defend their rights.

Despite the unprecedented great representation of women in the parliament, at 11.3 percent, it is still nowhere close to the number of seats promised by the pending Women’s Reservation Bill.

The Women’s Reservation Bill or the Constitution Bill, is a pending bill in India which proposes to amend the country’s Constitution to reserve 33 percent of all seats in the Lower House of Parliament, the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies, for women. CCTV correspondent Shweta Bajaj reports from New Delhi.

Hope for pro-women rights under India\'s new government

India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made history, by appointing the largest number of women to his cabinet. What does this mean for the status and rights of women in India? CCTV correspondent Shweta Bajaj reports from New Delhi.