What EC data on women participation in polls says

While democracy calls for diverse representation, traditional gender roles continue to restrict women's participation in political spaces.

- Khushboo Srivastava and Pulkit Buttan

These challenges are exacerbated by intersecting identities such as caste, class, religion, and region. Women face barriers in voting, campaigning, and leadership roles, as well as disparities in political knowledge and attitudes, despite the efforts by institutions such as electoral management bodies (EMBs), political parties, and civil society organisations (CSOs).

India's general elections last summer—data for which the Election Commission of India (ECI) has made available—highlight both progress and persistent challenges. Women's engagement with the electoral process has undergone significant shifts. The number of female electors has seen a considerable rise—from 130.6 million in 1971 to 476.3 million in 2024—reflecting demographic parity. But true political representation continues to elude. The elector gender ratio improved from 910 to 946, but progress has been uneven across regions. States such as Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have achieved near-equal representation in electoral rolls (women comprise a little over 50% of the rolls in both states). In contrast, states such as Bihar (47%) still face significant gender gaps. The strides by the former can be attributed to voter registration drives, awareness campaigns, electoral literacy initiatives and mobilisations by CSOs.