Overview | Project summary | Contemporary Situation

Situational Analysis: Political Participation of Women in India

In the world, around 95 countries have instituted quotas and other positive measures to include women in politics. These affirmative actions have broken barriers and have encouraged decisive outcomes, as there has been greater participation of women in the democratic functioning of the nations.

India was the first country in the world that gave suffrage to women along with men while adopting its Constitution. However, this de-jure right, even after nearly six decades has not translated into a de-facto right, and it is still rare for women to get elected to the highest echelons of Indian politics. Women’s slim percentage in Indian Parliament also reflects their lack of participation in the decision-making process. the representation of women in the Central Council of Ministers in India is even lower Besides than in the National Parliament and State Assemblies. Out of the 29 Cabinet Ministers, only one is a woman and out of 39 Ministers of State, there are only six women holding this post.

This gender deficit is a result of a number of barriers and restraints that prevent women from joining the electoral process. The absence of any quota or affirmative action to promote the participation of women in the democratic process at the highest level is largely responsible for this deficit. The inability to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill for more than a decade has led to grave injustice to women representatives and to the democratic process of the country. Despite making promises in their manifestos to provide reservation of seats to women, most political parties themselves shy away from giving seats to women candidates.

The 73^rd and 74^th amendment of the Indian Constitution brought 33% reservation into local governance and paved the way for more than a million women to enter local self governance. When conditions are made favourable, more and more women come forward to contest elections and win. This stride of women into electoral politics and the public arena has shown long-term implications for gender relations in society and the family. This has enabled women and marginalized sections of the society to articulate their interests and speak for their rights.

In the context of a gender deficit in democracy, it is important to enhance the capacity of the women to contest elections. Today we need to replicate the process of reservation of seats for women which has been given at local self governance, in the state assemblies and national parliament. It is essential to train women who have been successful in local governance and those who wish to enter the State Assemblies and National Parliament so that they can overcome the barriers and develop the skills to understand the electoral politics and the dynamics of political process.

The existing network of women needs strengthening to support and help sustain women in politics. There is also a need to share best practices and examples with other South Asian countries, so that democracy in these countries can be strengthened and the gender deficit minimized.