Source: TH
Subject: Women and associated issues
Context: While women’s voter turnout has reached near-parity with men in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a significant participation-representation gap persists in Indian politics.
About Women’s Political Participation in India:
What it is?
- It refers to the involvement of women in the various levels of the political system, ranging from exercising their right to vote (electoral turnout) and participating in election campaigns (rallies, canvassing) to holding office in legislative bodies (representation in Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha and State Assemblies).
Key Data and Facts:
- Voter Turnout Parity: The gender gap in Lok Sabha turnout narrowed from 11.2% in 1967 to practically zero in 2019 and 2024.
- Legislative Representation: In the 2024 Lok Sabha, women occupy only 74 seats (approx. 13.6%), a slight dip from the historic high of 78 in 2019.
- Candidature Gap: While 800 women contested in the 2024 elections, they remain a small fraction compared to thousands of male candidates.
- Higher Success Rate: Data consistently shows women candidates often have a higher winnability rate; in 2024, 9% of women won compared to 6% of men.
- State Assembly Trends: In many state elections after 2011, women’s turnout has actually surpassed male turnout by an average of nearly 2%.
Dimensions of Women’s Political Participation:
- Electoral Turnout (The Silent Revolution): Women have transitioned from being passive observers to active voters.
Example: In the 2024 General Elections, female voter turnout was neck-and-neck with men, reflecting higher political consciousness among women across rural and urban divides.
- Campaign Participation: Women are increasingly attending rallies and door-to-door canvassing, though they still lag behind men.
Example: Attendance at election meetings rose to 16% in recent years, showing that women are moving beyond the household to public political spaces.
- Grassroots Leadership: Due to 33% reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), millions of women hold local offices.
Example: India currently has over 1.4 million elected women representatives in local bodies, acting as a nursery for future national leadership.
- Independent Decision Making: There is a growing trend of women choosing candidates independently of their male family members.
Example: In 2024, 50% of women reported voting without advice from others, showcasing a steady rise in political autonomy.
- Issue-Based Voting: Women are increasingly voting based on specific women-centric policies rather than traditional caste or party lines.
Example: The Ladli Behna scheme in Madhya Pradesh is credited with mobilizing a massive female vote bank that determined the electoral outcome.
Initiatives Taken:
- Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (128th Constitutional Amendment Act): Reserves one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
- 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts: Mandated 33% reservation for women in Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (some states have increased this to 50%).
- SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation): Targeted outreach by the Election Commission of India to bridge the gender gap in voter registration and turnout.
- Political Literacy Clubs: Initiatives in schools and colleges to encourage young women to understand and enter the political process early.
Challenges Associated:
- The Electability Myth: Political parties often deny tickets to women claiming they cannot win against male opponents.
Example: In the 2024 elections, women made up only roughly 10% of total candidates despite having higher statistical winnability.
- Patriarchal Social Norms: Deep-seated norms often require women to seek family permission before engaging in public politics.
- Domestic Burden: The double burden of household chores and caregiving limits the time women can dedicate to active campaigning.
- Criminalization and Muscle Power: The entry of money and muscle power in politics deters many qualified women from contesting.
Example: The high cost of campaigning and the prevalence of candidates with criminal records creates a hostile environment for women entrants.
- Information Gap: Lower literacy levels in some regions and limited access to digital political discourse hinder informed participation.
Way Ahead:
- Implementation of Reservations: Ensure the swift implementation of the 33% reservation in Parliament following the delimitation exercise.
- Internal Party Reforms: Political parties should voluntarily adopt quotas for women in their organizational hierarchies and ticket distribution.
- Capacity Building: Provide leadership training and mentorship for women at the Panchayat level to help them transition to state and national politics.
- Safe Political Environment: Stricter enforcement of laws against character assassination and online harassment of female political figures.
- Economic Empowerment: Linking political participation with economic independence to ensure women have the financial resources to contest elections.
Conclusion:
India has successfully closed the gender gap at the polling booth, but the journey toward equal representation in the corridors of power has only just begun. While the Women’s Reservation Bill is a landmark structural fix, it must be supported by a shift in social mindsets and political party cultures. True democracy will only be achieved when women are not just voters, but equal architects of the nation’s policies.
