NEW DELHI, April 13: The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — the 106th Constitutional Amendment that mandates 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies — will have a marked impact on Meghalaya, where female political representation remains well below the national average despite the state’s matrilineal social structure, former National Commission for Women member Delina Khongdup said.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Khongdup called the amendment a landmark law for India and said its effects in Meghalaya are especially significant and complex because of the state’s unique social fabric and the persistent under‑representation of women in the State Assembly, Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and traditional village institutions.
Khongdup highlighted the paradox at the heart of Meghalaya’s politics: while women are widely recognised as custodians of ancestral property under local custom, that status has rarely translated into formal political power. “Meghalaya is famous for its matrilineal society, yet this has rarely translated into political power for women — a paradox this Act seeks to resolve,” she said. At present, female representation in Parliament stands at approximately 13.6%. In Meghalaya’s 60‑member Assembly and in ADCs, female participation remains in the single digits, far below the 33% threshold.
Historically, the number of women elected to the Meghalaya Assembly has ranged between one and four members; in 2018 only 5.08% of elected representatives were women, the article noted. Khongdup argued that guaranteed reservation will help create a “critical mass” of female leaders able to prioritise state‑specific issues such as maternal health, rising cancer rates, and the challenges faced by single mothers and rural farmers.
Addressing worries that the Act might clash with protections under the Sixth Schedule and with tribal customary law, Khongdup said the mandates operate in distinct spheres. “The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam applies specifically to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies — modern democratic bodies governed by the Constitution. The Sixth Schedule protects the authority of the ADCs and traditional institutions like the Syiemships and Dorbar Shnong,” she explained.
Khongdup stressed that the 33% reservation does not currently compel changes to the internal composition of village councils or ADCs, but she warned that tradition should not be used to bar women from political participation. “Our customs are living laws that evolve. Just as inheritance rights are protected by custom, the right to represent the community in the Assembly is a natural progression of those rights,” she said.
She argued the Act complements, rather than undermines, traditional institutions, enabling Meghalaya to retain its tribal identity while ensuring women’s roles are reflected in formal lawmaking. “This Act will bring harmony between tradition and modernity. It ensures that the high social status women enjoy at home is finally translated into legislative power,” Khongdup said.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/04/14/womens-reservation-bill-to-greatly-benefit-state-former-ncw-member/
Category: MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2026-04-14 02:22:00
