Women’s Participation in India from 1st Lok Sabha Election to 18th Lok Sabha Election

In 1971, only 61 female candidates contested the elections, representing a mere 2.2% of all contestants. By 2024, this number had grown dramatically to 800 women candidates, constituting 9.6% of the total candidates—more than a thirteenfold increase in absolute numbers and a fourfold increase in proportional representation over this 53-year period. The growth trajectory shows several noteworthy phases. The period from 1971 to 1989 saw modest increases, with female candidates remaining below 200 and their share below 3.3%. A significant jump occurred in the 1991-92 election, with 330 women contesting, followed by a surge to 599 in 1996. After a temporary decline in the late 1990s, the 21st century has witnessed consistent growth, with each election generally exceeding the previous one in both absolute numbers and proportional representation of women candidates. When examining women’s success in getting elected, the trend is also positive but shows a significant representation gap. In 1971, 29 women were elected to the Lok Sabha, constituting 5.6% of all MPs. By 2019, this number had risen to a historic high of 78 women MPs (14.4%), though there was a slight decline to 74 (13.6%) in the 2024 election. Notably, the share of women among elected representatives has consistently been higher than their share among candidates, suggesting that women who do contest often run in more winnable seats or receive stronger voter support than might be expected based on their numerical representation among candidates. Despite these improvements, significant gender disparities persist in Indian political representation. Even at its peak in 2019, women constituted just 14.4% of parliamentarians, far short of their approximately 48% share in the general population. The 2024 election data shows that while women made up 9.6% of candidates, they won 13.6% of seats—a positive selection effect but still reflective of severe underrepresentation. This gradual evolution in women’s political participation reflects both progress in gender equality and the persistent structural, cultural, and financial barriers that continue to limit women’s full participation in electoral politics. While the upward trajectory provides cause for optimism, the pace of change suggests that achieving gender parity in political representation remains a distant goal for Indian democracy without more aggressive interventions such as the repeatedly proposed Women’s Reservation Bill, which would reserve one-third of parliamentary seats for women.