Bengaluru will host the first meeting of the regional unit of Commonwealth Women MPs

A special convention of the Indian Regional Unit of Women Commonwealth Members of Parliament will be held in Bengaluru on November 17 and 18.

Assembly Speaker GS Patil and Legislative Council Speaker Salim Ahmed made the announcement at a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday and said that such a convention, which is being held for the first time in the country, will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

The convention is being jointly organized by the Parliament of India and the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, they said.

About 150 women parliamentarians, chairpersons of legislative houses and legislators from various states are expected to attend the convention, they said.

The theme of the convention is “Secure Foundations, Strong Voices: Cybersecurity and Mentoring Pathways for New Women Legislators.”

The convention aims to ensure cyber security of women legislatures in the digital era, besides discussing issues related to institutional support and mentoring for first-time members of state legislatures, Mr. Patil said.

The convention will address issues related to online harassment of women elected representatives, including false propaganda through fake accounts and cybercrimes, he said.

He will also discuss setting up a system through which senior members can mentor new women legislators on the functioning of legislatures, law-making, policy formulation, effective participation in debates and leadership, he said.

Mr. Patil argued that the Bengaluru Convention would be an important initiative in the parliamentary history of the country as it would bring together women MPs and legislators on a common platform to discuss issues related to their participation in the legislative process.

Mr. Salim Ahmed described the theme of the convention as relevant in the context of addressing the challenges faced by contemporary women elected representatives.

Published – November 9, 2026 10:31 PM IST