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News Excerpt:

With just over 14 % women in the Lok Sabha, India still lags behind neighbours, ranking 142 among 193 countries when it comes to women representation in Parliament.

Recent trends:

• Since 2009, the number of women representatives in Parliament has been above 10 per cent. In the 16th Lok Sabha election, 61 women were elected, making 11.2 percent of the lower house.
• The 2019 elections saw the highest number of women MPs. Seventy-eight women today make up 14.2 percent of the Lok Sabha.
• According to data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, India currently ranks 142 among 193 countries when it comes to women representation in Parliament. It is behind most of its neighbouring countries — Pakistan (137), Nepal (54) and Bangladesh (113).

The progress post-1935:

Since Government of India Act 1935, there has been notable progress in women's representation in Indian politics:

• Under the Government of India Act (1935), 41 reserved seats were granted to women in provincial legislatures, resulting in 80 women becoming legislators in the 1937 Indian provincial elections, despite initial reservations about the provision.
• But Women's representation in Parliament was debated since the British planned self-government in India. Surprisingly, the three main women’s organisations — the Women’s India Association (WIA), All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), and National Council for Women in India (NCWI) — opposed special reservations for women in Parliament. They argued that seeking preferential treatment would violate the demand for absolute equality of political status, as stated in their joint memorandum on the proposed new Constitution.
• The Constitution of independent India abolished reserved seats for women, maintaining quotas only for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In the first general election in 1952, women secured 22 seats, constituting only 4.4% of Lok Sabha representation.
• Despite their small numbers, women in the first Lok Sabha played significant roles, introducing crucial bills such as the Dowry Prohibition Bill (1951) and the Equal Remuneration Act (1956).
• Notable women elected to the first Lok Sabha included Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani, and Ammu Swaminathan. Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of women Lok Sabha members, with five representatives.
• Over the following decades, the number of women winning Lok Sabha seats steadily increased. In 1957, 27 women MPs constituted 5.4% of total members, and by 1962, the number rose to 34 (6.7% of total members).

Participation status of women in 2024 Lok Sabha elections:

• The ongoing Lok Sabha election maintains a low representation of women, with approximately 12% of candidates in the fifth phase being female, as per analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
• In earlier phases, 8% to 10% of candidates were women, with 135 (8%) in the first phase, 100 (8%) in the second phase, 123 (9%) in the third phase, and 170 (10%) in the fourth phase.

Importance of women’s representation in politics:

The benefits of increased representation of women in the legislature are multifaceted:

• Gender-sensitive Governance: Women's presence in the legislature promotes the adoption of reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of elected officials in promoting gender equality in public policy and ensuring its enforcement.

• Inclusive Initiatives: Greater representation of women in the legislature encourages the provision of financial incentives for initiatives that support women’s decision-making roles, such as leadership training programs and increased government subsidies for political parties with more female leaders/candidates.
• Changing Stereotypes: Enhanced representation fosters collaboration between the women’s movement and the media to challenge stereotypical perceptions of women solely as homemakers. Instead, it promotes the portrayal of women as capable and effective politicians.