Page 216 - economic review

188

SOCIAL SERVICE Table 4.12
Seats in National Parliament (Female %)

Sl No. Country Female %
1
2 Norway 39.6
3
4 Sweden 44.7
5
6 Iceland 39.7
7
8 Denmark 39.1

Belgium 38.9

Finland 42.5

Netherlands 37.8

Cuba 48.9
Source: Gender Inequality Index - Human Development Report :2014

Table 4.13
Female Representation in Parliament / Legislature - Kerala

Sl No. Name of Legislature Number of Total no %
Women of seats

1 Rajya Sabha 1 9 11.11

2 Lok Sabha 1 20 5

3 Kerala Legislative Assembly 7 141 5

Source: Worked out from data available at the Website of the Lok sabha, Rajya Sabha & Chief Electoral
Officer, Kerala

4.210 India’s effort at providing reservation to women in seats during elections has found mixed results.
The 73rd and 74th Amendment Bill providing for one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj
Institutions were passed in December 1992, and were ratified by all states by April 1993. However
the Women’s Reservation Bill seeking to provide 33% reservation to women in seats in the Lok
Sabha and State Legislatures is yet to be passed by the Parliament.

4.211 For Gender Development to be effective, the women of Kerala should be empowered
economically and socially. Economic empowerment and social empowerment are complementary
to each other. The economic empowerment of the women is attained only when they become an
integral part of labour force and ultimately be gainfully employed.

Female Labour force Participation: A case of unused capacities

4.212 A comparison of the Labour force Participation Rates (LPR) of 10 countries having highest
Human Development Index and those of Kerala, brings out some interesting facts. The Female LPR
in these countries is around 60 and the Male LPR is around 70. As per the data from NSSO 68th
Round (July 2011- June 2012), in Kerala, the Male LPR is comparatively higher at 82.4. However
the Female LPR, in Kerala is 35.4, which is very low. Consequently the difference between Male and
Female LPR in Kerala is very high.

4.213 It is surprising to note that Female LPR is much higher in some of our neighbouring countries,
whose HDI rank is lower that of India. For example Female LPR in Bhutan is 66.4, in Cambodia
78.9, in Bangladesh 57.3, in Nepal 54.3, and in Myanmar 85.7 (Source: HDI Report 2014). It is often
argued that, it may not be possible to increase the LPR of a country beyond a particular point due to

Kerala State Planning Board