It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who reminded us of ‘Nari Shakti’ recently. In the poll battle of 2024, PM Modi’s jibe on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Shakti’ remark drew substantial attention. It was Gandhi who spoke about ‘Shakti’ and it was the PM who took cue from Gandhi and weaved a narrative around ‘Nari Shakti’.
Notably, the Election Commission of India is making the nation realise the true potential of ‘women power’. In a recently released data by the commission, a total of 47.1 crore women have been registered as electorates in 2024. The gender ratio is 948 women to 1000 men in the country in terms of women’s participation in the electoral process
This is not it, in addition to this, it has been found that 12 states have more women voters than men.
The development is a notable one for a country that had only 42 per cent of women voters in 1962. While education, women-centric welfare measures and others contribute to this advancement, it also shifts the focus on women representatives in the nation's political turf.
In 2019, only nine per cent of women on an average were contesting elections. Hence, defiance of political parties to provide tickets to women in the electoral contest cannot be overlooked.
Two nationally acclaimed political outfits — the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress — had given tickets to a little over 12 per cent women on an average in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The commission has not disclosed the name of the states which have more women voters than men. However, Karnataka and Kerala which are hailed as the states to have high literacy rate; and, thus, people have a progressive sentiment saw only five out of every 100 women who contested elections between 1996 and 2019 tasting success.
Why increased women participation in electoral contests appears surprising?
Menfolk have always turned out in large numbers whether it is about casting one’s ballot or being fielded as candidates in the poll battle. The space of voting has been dominated by men. And since they have come out in large numbers to vote, women have never been considered as a vital force to reckon with.
In 2004, male voter turnout was 8.4 per cent over women in national elections. However, a significant increase was felt in 2014 with this percentage point shrinking to 1.8 per cent. Some factors that can contribute to this advancement include:
- Women in India are getting access to education, which is making them aware of their needs. They have realised the importance of making oneself heard. They are being able to express their views through their franchise which is empowering them to make a decision for themselves.
- Pertaining to employment, women are coming out of their houses and getting the opportunity to interact with people from various backgrounds. This is making them opinionated, thus, enabling them to make an informed choice.
- Studies suggest that when women get involved in economic networks, they will most likely develop an interest in politics.
- Moreover, state mechanisms as well as the Election Commission of India are making ways to encourage women to participate in politics. For instance, safety of polling booths, separate queues for women on the voting day, armed forces near and outside the booths, and others.
The insignificant number of women in the political space presents deep-rooted marginalisation. Although leaders of our country boast about women empowerment, there is a hidden anomaly to it. Otherwise, the passage of the women's reservation bill in the Parliament — it guarantees one-third reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies — would not have taken 27 years.
Moreover, more women turning out to vote does not necessarily mean that more than men women are participating in the electoral process. There is gender imbalance in India’s population, thus, women empowerment (Nari Shakti) will remain as a rhetoric, given the ground realities of our country.
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