He was speaking at the Nari Shakti Forum event in Panaji which was also attended by Dr Aida Mukherjee, Pratima Dhond, Dr Shraddha Patil, Shashi Soni and others.
Sawant stressed that women’s reservation will strengthen their role in lawmaking and leadership, adding that Goa will possibly implement the system through rotation of seats.
“If required, I am ready to vacate my seat,” Sawant declared, urging all to support the measure.
The special session of Parliament has been convened to discuss the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendment. Once approved, the Lok Sabha will see an increase of 273 seats. Goa Assembly could gain up to five seats, though the exact figure remains uncertain.
Sawant recalled that the law granting 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures was passed in 2023. He noted that the next census is expected between 2027 and 2029. Delimitation will follow, which could delay implementation.
The amendment aims to ensure reservation is in place by the 2029 Lok Sabha general elections, using the 2011 census as the base. After Lok Sabha approval, at least 18 State Legislatures need to ratify it.
The Chief Minister explained that if seats were allocated purely on population, southern States would have gained fewer and hence the decision to expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats, with 273 reserved for women.
State assemblies, however, may follow different criteria. Larger states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and smaller ones like Tripura and Goa, await clarity, he added.
