Source: The Hindu | Page: 4 | Tags: 19 June 2026, Electoral Reforms, Governance, Polity, Women’s Political Representation
Context: Women Political Representation in India
An analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms found that women’s participation in electoral politics remains significantly low despite the enactment of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, highlighting the gap between constitutional commitment and actual political representation.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023
Also known as the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act.
Key Provisions
Provides 33% reservation for women in:
- Lok Sabha
- State Legislative Assemblies
- Delhi Legislative Assembly
Reservation Within Reservation
- Includes reservation for SC/ST women within existing SC/ST reserved seats.
Important Articles Added
- Reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha.
- Reservation of seats for women in State Legislative Assemblies.
- Implementation, rotation and duration of reservation.
Implementation
- Will be implemented after the first Census conducted after the Act.
- Implementation will happen after the subsequent delimitation exercise.
Duration
- Reservation will operate for 15 years.
- It can be extended by Parliament.
Not Applicable To
- Rajya Sabha
- Legislative Councils
Mains Value Addition
ADR Data
- Women constituted only 10.2% of candidates, meaning 3,273 out of 31,429 candidates, in elections held after the enactment of the Act.
- In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, women constituted only 9.6% of total candidates.
- 152 Lok Sabha constituencies, around 28%, had no woman candidate.
Major Party Data
Major parties remained far below the 33% benchmark:
- INC: around 14% women candidates
- BJP: around 13% women candidates
Women in 18th Lok Sabha
- 74 women MPs
- 13.6% representation
- Highest-ever in absolute numbers
Broader Concern
- Women constitute nearly 50% of India’s population.
- But parliamentary representation remains below 15%.
Global Gender Gap Report 2025
- Overall Rank: 129 out of 146
- Political Empowerment Rank: 48 out of 146
Grassroots Women’s Reservation
Women’s reservation already exists at the grassroots level.
Article 243D
- Panchayats
Article 243T
Important Fact
- Constitutional minimum is 33% reservation.
- Many States provide 50% reservation.
- More than 14 lakh elected women representatives serve in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
