You need to upgrade your Flash Player.
Photo Flash Gallery requires Macromedia Flash, version 8 or greater. Please click here to download.
Or, if you're absolutely positive you have Flash 8 or greater, click here to force the site to load.

Rajya Sabha passes Women's Bill

By Santosh | 09 March 2010

The Indian Parliament's Upper House has passed the Women's Bill after it was bogged down in political disagreement for 14 years.

The bill was passed by 189-1 votes in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday. A strong debate for and against the bill preceded the vote.

The bill faced stiff resistance from the opposition and some of the allies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On Monday the Samajawadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad Yadav - both allies of Singh, halted parliamentary support for his government.

The parliament was forced to adjourn more than twice on Monday as the government tried to present the Bill.

The presentation of the bill before the Rajya Sabha was timed to coincide with World Women's Day.

The bill allows a quota of 33 percent seats in Parliament and state legislatures exclusively for women.