Women in Parliament

As of 1 June 2024, there are 27 countries where 28 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. However, not everything is the same everywhere. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (April 2024), women make up roughly 26.9% of lawmakers worldwide. In India, women representation in the parliament is only 14.7%. Equal representation of men and women in the legislative process can greatly enhance decision-making and empower both women and the country. This necessitates taking proactive measures to guarantee gender equality in all legislative bodies around the world.

”Political power is the key to all social progress” ~B.R. Ambedkar

Status in India

When the first Lok Sabha was elected in 1952, women made up only 4.4% of the body. After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, that number rose to just 12.15%. There are no seats set aside for female or male candidates in the Indian parliament.

There are currently 74 women in total in the Lok Sabha and 39 in the Rajya Sabha.

In a research conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, India was ranked 149th out of 193 nations in terms of the percentage of women who serve in the lower house of parliament. In a nation where women make up half the population, India has 13.6% representation in the Lok Sabha and 16.8% in the Rajya Sabha.

In the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, India ranked 129th out of 146 countries.

Significance of Women Participation

• Efficiency: There is established and growing evidence that women’s leadership in political decision-making processes improves them. For example, research on panchayats (local councils) in India discovered that the number of drinking water projects in areas with women-led councils was 62 per cent higher than in those with men-led councils. In Norway, a direct causal relationship between the presence of women in municipal councils and childcare coverage was found.
• Women-centric approach: It has been shown that female state leaders or legislators tend to focus more on women. This is seen in the Panchayati system of India, where female pradhans have focused more on topics like public restrooms, self-help organisations, domestic abuse, etc. Women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses—even in the most politically combative environments—and by championing issues of gender equality, such as the elimination of gender-based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender-equality laws, and electoral reform.
• The contrast between suffrage and political presence: Women have the same voting rights as men, although currently there is very less representation of women in the parliament.
• International relationship: It is cited that women make up 2% of mediators, 8% of negotiators, and 5% of peace process witnesses. However, they guarantee genuine success because 35% of talks involving women fail and 60% last at least 15 years.
• Recording effect: An improvement in the official's receptivity to the requests of underprivileged groups. For instance, increased police response to crimes against women in areas where women held political leadership positions.
• To break the Vicious cycle: Reduced political participation options for women as a result of socioeconomic disadvantages result in weaker representation, which in turn slows down efforts to overcome socioeconomic disadvantages.

Reasons for low Participation of Women in Parliament

• Illiteracy: One of the biggest obstacles to empowering women politically is illiteracy. In general, female candidates are less educated and experienced than male candidates. In India, women have a literacy rate of 65% compared to men's 82%.
• Lack of political will: The fact that the bill reserving one-third of the seats for women was repeatedly defeated shows that the lawmakers lack political will. All parties' platforms still include the measure, but it has never been put into action.
• Masking of the identity: 206 women individually participated in the 2019 elections, but only one of them took home the victory. This demonstrates the role that political parties and a person's upbringing played in determining their political success. Her true identity is concealed by the party and family.
• Patriarchy: Despite having the majority, women do not actually experience their authority because male spouses or other family members often have a say in their decisions. The formation of Sarpanchpati in Panchayati is a clear example of this.
• Gender Disparities: Women still face obstacles in the form of gender biases and disparities in education, resource ownership, and attitudes.
• Lack of confidence and finance: They were the other main obstacles that kept women from pursuing careers in politics.
• Sexual division of labour: A system in which the ladies of the household either handle all domestic labour themselves or organise it through domestic assistants It implies that women devote far more time to caring for the home and children than do males.
• Slander and abuse: This is one of the primary barriers that prevent women from running in elections that they encounter during campaigning. Lack of safety is the additional factor stated.

Way forward

Balanced political participation and power-sharing between women and men in decision-making is the internationally agreed target set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

In Rwanda, where every third position in the party is set aside for women, the zipper method is used. Such adjustments can be made for improved outcomes. Dispel the notion that women may only be used for domestic and family duties. The current scenario places a high priority on the passage of the one-third reserve of seats. According to studies, the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts' introduction of a gender quota in local government has boosted the number of women in leadership positions and given them access to mainstream politics. Enhancing party democracy within: All female party members will be given a fair chance in a really democratic political party where the various offices, such as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc., are filled by an election process.

Related resources

• Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments - IPU
• Global Gender Gap Report 2024
• Facts and figures: Women’s leadership and political participation