Srinagar, April 22 -- I have spent my life running-first on mud tracks in Kerala, then on the world stage, and now in the corridors of public life. At every step, I have encountered barriers, some visible and many unspoken, that told women they did not belong. I have also seen what happens when those barriers begin to fall. Opportunity changes outcomes-and, more importantly, it changes belief.

That is why the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023-the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam-is not merely a legislative milestone. It is a long-overdue structural correction. Reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for women is neither a concession nor tokenism. It is a necessary step towards a more...