Why in news?

The Lok Sabha rejected a constitutional amendment Bill seeking to increase women’s representation to 33% in Parliament and state assemblies.

Historically, women’s representation in Indian legislatures has rarely exceeded 15%, highlighting the persistent gender gap in political participation.

What’s in Today’s article?

• Women’s Representation in Parliament: Trends and Party Patterns
• Women’s Representation in State Assemblies: A Limited and Uneven Picture
• Global Status of Women’s Representation in Parliaments: India’s Position

Women’s Representation in Parliament: Trends and Party Patterns

• Women’s representation in the Lok Sabha has gradually increased over time, but remains limited.
• It rose from 4.9% in the first Lok Sabha (1951–52) to 13.6% in the 18th Lok Sabha (2024–29).
• The highest share recorded was 14.36% in 2019–24, while the lowest was 3.5% during the 6th Lok Sabha (1977–79).
• Notably, it took 15 general elections to cross the 10% mark, indicating slow progress.
• In the Rajya Sabha, women currently make up around 16% (39 out of 245 members), slightly higher than in the Lok Sabha but still far from parity.
• Experts highlight that women’s representation depends heavily on party leadership priorities. Where leadership is committed, representation improves; otherwise, progress remains slow.

Women’s Representation in State Assemblies: A Limited and Uneven Picture

• Data from 31 State Assemblies and Union Territories shows that women’s representation remains low across India.
• Only Chhattisgarh (21.1%) has crossed the 15% mark, making it an outlier. Historically, no state had exceeded this threshold until Chhattisgarh’s 2023 election.
• Leading and Lagging States
  • Among states with relatively higher representation:
    • Tripura: 15%
    • Jharkhand: 14.8%
    • Haryana: 14.4%
    • West Bengal: 13.6%
  • At the lower end:
    • Nagaland and Puducherry: 3.3% each
    • Notably, Nagaland elected women MLAs for the first time only in 2023, highlighting the depth of the gender gap.
• Widespread Underrepresentation
  • As many as 19 Assemblies have less than 10% women MLAs, including major states such as:
    • Gujarat (7.7%)
    • Maharashtra (7.6%)
    • Tamil Nadu (7.3%)
    • Assam (5.5%)
    • Karnataka (4.5%)
  • Experts attribute this persistent gap to structural inequalities in a patriarchal society, where political power remains less accessible to women.
  • With ongoing Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry, these figures may shift, offering a potential opportunity to improve women’s representation.

Global Status of Women’s Representation in Parliaments: India’s Position

• India ranks 147th globally in women’s representation in Lower Houses, according to April 2026 data from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
• This highlights India’s relatively low standing among nearly 190 countries.
• India’s low global ranking reflects the absence of strong structural mechanisms like quotas, underscoring the need for institutional reforms to improve gender balance in political representation.
• Countries Leading in Gender Parity
  • Several countries have achieved 50% or higher representation of women, including:
    • Rwanda, Cuba, Nicaragua
    • Costa Rica, Bolivia, Mexico
    • Andorra, United Arab Emirates
  • Additionally, around 56 countries have over 33% women representation, indicating significant global progress.
• Global Trends Over Time
  • According to IPU data:
    • Women’s representation rose from 11.3% in 1995 to 27.2% in 2025
    • Growth was steady between 2000 and 2015, but has slowed in recent years
• Factors Driving Higher Representation
  • Countries that have made notable progress share common features:
    • Gender quotas in legislatures
    • Gender-sensitive parliamentary practices
    • Measures to address violence against women in politics
• Role of Electoral Systems and Quotas
  • Two key determinants of higher representation are:
    • Electoral systems, especially proportional or mixed systems
    • Gender quotas, which significantly boost participation
  • In 2024, countries with quotas had 31.2% women representation, compared to 16.8% in countries without quotas.