Political Representation of Women (GS paper 2, Polity & Governance)
Context
- Around the world, the representation of women in political spheres has seen significant progress over the years.
- However, this progress has been uneven, and much work remains to be done.
Historical Context
Universal suffrage — the right to vote for all citizens — was achieved in various countries after prolonged political movements. For instance:
- New Zealand, as a self-governing unit under British rule, granted universal women’s suffrage in 1893.
- The United Kingdom provided all its women the right to vote only in 1928.
- The United States granted equal voting rights through the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
- In independent India, women have had the right to vote since the first general elections in 1952. However, their representation in legislative bodies has been far from satisfactory.
Current Data
- Universal suffrage was achieved in various parts of the world after prolonged political movements.
- In the recently concluded general elections in the United Kingdom, a record 263 women MPs (40%) were elected to the House of Commons.
- The South African National Assembly has around 45% women representation, while the US House of Representatives has 29%.
Women and Political Representation
- Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
- However, data show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off.
Women in National Parliaments
- Only 26.9% of Parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women, up from 11% in 1995.
- Only six countries have 50% or more women in Parliament in single or lower houses: Rwanda (61%), Cuba (56%), Nicaragua (54%), Andorra (50%), Mexico (50%), New Zealand (50%), and the United Arab Emirates (50%).
- A further 22 countries have reached or surpassed 40%, including 13 countries in Europe, five in Africa, four in Latin America and the Caribbean, and one in Asia-Pacific.
- Globally, there are 21 States in which women account for less than 10% of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, including two lower chambers with no women at all.
- At the current rate of progress, gender parity in national legislative bodies will not be achieved before 2063 (another 40 years).
How Do Women MPs Fare Worldwide?
- Voluntary or legislated compulsory quotas within political parties.
- Quotas in parliament through the reservation of seats.
- Quotas within political parties allow more democratic choice for voters and flexibility for parties in selecting women candidates.
Women in Local Government
- Data from 141 countries show that women constitute more than 3 million (35.5%) of elected members in local deliberative bodies.
- Only three countries have reached 50%, and an additional 22 countries have more than 40% women in local government.
Women in Indian Politics
- The percentage of women Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament) remained very low — between 5% and 10% — until 2004. It marginally increased to 12% in 2014 and currently stands at 14% in the 18th Lok Sabha.
- State Legislative Assemblies fare even worse, with a national average of around 9% women representatives.
- The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992-93 provided for one-third reservation for women in Panchayats and Municipalities. However, attempts between 1996 and 2008 to provide similar reservation in the Lok Sabha and assemblies were unsuccessful.
Expanding Participation in India
- 106th Constitutional Amendment: It reserves one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including those reserved for SCs and STs. It shall come into effect based on the Delimitation Exercise after the relevant figures of the first Census conducted after the commencement of this act is published.
- The census is overdue since 2021 and should be conducted without any further delay to ensure that this reservation is implemented starting with the general elections in 2029.
- India ranks 143 in the list of countries in the ‘Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments’ recently published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a global organisation for national parliaments.
- Naam Tamilar Katchi, a state party in Tamil Nadu, has been following a voluntary quota of 50% for women candidates in the last three general elections.
- Intersectionality Matters: It’s essential to recognize that women are not a homogenous group. Their identities intersect with other factors (such as caste, class, religion, and ethnicity), influencing their political representation. Ensuring that women from diverse backgrounds have a voice in politics is crucial for genuine representation.
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
- Balanced political participation and power-sharing between women and men in decision-making is the internationally agreed target set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Conclusion and Way Forward
- Women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women’s caucuses — even in the most politically combative environments — and by championing issues of gender equality, such as the elimination of gender-based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender-equality laws, and electoral reform.
- While progress has been made, the road to equitable political representation for women remains challenging.
- Advocacy, policy changes, and societal shifts are necessary to create a more inclusive and representative political landscape.
