ABSTRACT
This chapter, by using the example of reservation of seats for women in Parliament, enriches the debates around class, caste, religion and gender interconnections. It critiques the women’s movements for not being alert to the sensitivities of these interconnections and therefore argues for a nuanced and intersectional approach for women’s inclusion in Parliament structured through an understanding of the power relations mediated through class, caste and religion on gender. By drawing our attention to this discourse, it strives to raise concerns around intra-group inequalities and discrimination. The chapter makes a claim for the acceptance of the ‘quota within quota’ proposal for the same. As much as one could advocate the need for women’s reservation in the parliament, the challenge for feminists is to make this space as inclusive as possible and make sure the marginalized voices of Dalit women and women from OBC and minority religions are not left out in the process.
