Abstract
This chapter seeks to examine changes in electoral participation and representation of women in India, and the various factors that surround them. Gender gap in electoral participation remains an untenable dilemma of democracy in the country. Women constitute almost half of the total Indian electorate, yet remain underrepresented in the election. Political representation and participation are two of the most effective ways to represent women’s interests and voices, and their involvement in the process is therefore particularly important. Despite this, the Indian democracy grapples with an inadequate representation of women in the political arena and a gender gap in voter turnout. These are undeniably discouraging aspects of Indian elections. In recent years, however, there has been a considerable change on both these accounts, especially with respect to voter turnout.
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Notes
- 1.
The Global Gender Parity Report provides an overall ranking of countries based on a composite index, which includes variables on gender differences in various arenas. The World Economic Forum releases the report annually.
- 2.
The Lok Sabha is the lower house of parliament, and the Rajya Sabha is the upper house.
- 3.
Census 2011 and 2001: Household ownership of assets.
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Kumar, S. (2020). A Paradigm Shift in Women’s Turnout and Representation in Indian Elections. In: Jamil, I., Aminuzzaman, S., Lasna Kabir, S., Haque, M. (eds) Gender Mainstreaming in Politics, Administration and Development in South Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36012-2_9
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