Revolutionary Gender Equality Legislation Reforms That Spoke Through Societies Everywhere
In recent years, several landmark laws have been enacted worldwide to promote gender equality, address discrimination, and empower women. From India’s Women’s Reservation Bill to the UK’s Gender Pay Gap Reporting, these legislative reforms aim to create a more just and inclusive society. While challenges remain in implementation and enforcement, these policies mark significant progress in the global fight for gender parity.
1. Women’s Reservation Bill, India (2023):
India enacted the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act in September 2023, commonly referred to as the Women’s Reservation Bill. The bill makes 33% reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) and assemblies for women. It would extend the reservation after the next census and delimitation exercise so that more women numbers become part of assemblies.
2. Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, India (2024):
The Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand Act was passed by the Indian state of Uttarakhand in February 2024. The act brings personal law of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationship under a single umbrella to be equally effective for all without any discrimination on the basis of gender and religion.
The most pleasing part of the provisions is that polygamy would be banned, marriages and live-in relationships would be compulsorily registered, and sons and daughters would enjoy equal rights in property.
3. United Kingdom, Gender Pay Gap Reporting (2017):
UK, since the year 2017, required gender pay differences for employers with 250 and above employees to report on. This has been in order to achieve increased transparency with differential pay between male and female workers. Future planning indicates extending the like provisions to eliminate-visible differences through action plans as well as reporting differences on ethnicity and impairment.
4. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, India (2013):
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was brought into force to prevent harassment of women in workplace. It also makes available the choice of setting up Internal Complaints Committees in workplace and mechanism for complaint hearing. Though brought into force, provisions in many organizations are yet to be working in full.
5. Gender Apartheid Laws Campaigns (2024):
International activists stepped up efforts to criminalize “gender apartheid” globally in October 2024. It is an action campaign against institutional gender discrimination of women and girls in nations such as Afghanistan and Iran, where they are repressed severely. It is a campaign to mobilize the world and assist the victims.
Conclusion: All these acts are evidence of international will towards world-wide eradication of gender imbalances. Although differential growth on the international level is possible, regulation and enforcement of these acts are milestones on the path to gender equality.
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