Abstract This article explores the relationship between gendered identities and the political representation of women in India, examining how social norms, caste hierarchies, and institutional structures shape access to and exercise of political power. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality and the emergence of prominent women leaders such as Indira Gandhi, women’s representation in the Parliament of India and State Legislative Assemblies has historically remained limited. The article evaluates the transformative impact of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which introduced reservations for women in local governance, and assesses the implications of the Women's Reservation Bill 2023 for increasing women’s presence in national and state legislatures. Adopting an intersectional lens, the study highlights how caste, class, religion, and regional disparities influence women’s political experiences, often privileging elite women while marginalizing marginalized groups. While numerical representation has improved at local levels, structural barriers such as patriarchal party systems, economic dependency, political violence, and media stereotyping continue to constrain substantive empowerment. The article concludes that meaningful political representation in India requires not only legal reforms but also a transformation of gender norms, institutional practices, and social attitudes to achieve equitable and effective participation of women in politics.
Geeta Mallapur (2026) studied this question.