Women are rewriting the grammar of elections

The Bihar election once again underscored the growing electoral power of women in reshaping the political landscape.

- Lalita Panicker

While women are underrepresented in Parliament and legislatures, they are a force to reckon with in elections. To an extent, chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar, was able to beat anti-incumbency, thanks to his far-reaching support for women's development. The surge in women's vote share reflects socioeconomic and cultural shifts, alongside regional dynamics that are transforming women's political participation and influence. The pattern of rising women voters is the result of developments over the past decades that have created structural change such as institution-backed spaces for women to come into public life.