IS INDIAN POLITICS BECOMING MORE OPEN TO WOMEN ?

Turnout of women voters has risen substantially over the years and is now equal to men voters. The current Lok Sabha has 78 women MPs (14%), the highest tally ever. This number has almost tripled since India’s first parliament in 1952, when it was a mere 5%. But these positive numbers conceal a much bleaker picture that comes out when viewed in context of progress in other nations. In 1952, with a mere 5% representation, India led more advanced nations such as UK (3%) and US (2%). However, now the situation is reversed, with representation in UK at 33.9% and US at 27.3%.

India is now a global laggard and worryingly getting worse on a relative basis. Between 1998 and 2020, in the global rankings for women’s representation in the national parliaments complied by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), India has fallen from 95th position to 148th position. We rank behind even our much less democratic neighbours such as Afghanistan (71), China (86) Pakistan (116).

Despite more Indian women than ever heading to the polling booths, they are finding little representation in the law-making process? Does it mean that the discrimination against them is getting worse.