India’s lower house votes to reserve a third of seats for women

Proposed law aims to improve representation in a parliament where women hold only a little over 13% of seats

India's lower house of parliament has passed a bill to reserve a third of seats for women, almost triple the current number, in a move that could transform Indian politics.

More than 27 years after it was first proposed in parliament, the women's reservation bill was given almost unanimous support by MPs in the lower house, with only two voting against it. Its passage through the upper house is expected to be smooth thanks to broad political support.