Women’s political participation is a crucial factor for a healthy democracy. Although India conferred universal adult franchise at the time of independence and incorporated equal rights for women under Articles 14, 15, and 325–326 of the Constitution, women’s underrepresentation in the country’s legislative bodies is a major concern. Although the percentage of women voters participating in elections over the last two decades has grown manifold, their representation in Parliament and State Assemblies is still lower than the global average. This paper study the various challenges affecting women’s effective participation in the electoral process in India. The paper is based on secondary research conducted through various reports of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), UN Women, and reports of both houses of Parliament. This paper concludes that women’s underrepresentation is not just a social problem but system failure. The main argument of paper is based on empirical evidence. The paper concludes with a series of evidence-based recommendations for strengthening democracy in India.
Laxmi Kailas Kabara (Wed,) studied this question.