EC data show number of women candidates grew 16-fold from 1957 to 2019

Summary: Election Commission data reveals a significant increase in women candidates for Lok Sabha elections, from 45 in 1957 to 726 in 2019, marking a 16-fold growth, while male candidates have grown fivefold. Despite this, women constituted only 9% of the total candidates in 2019, with their success rate declining from 48.88% in 1957 to 10.74% in 2019. The growth in women candidates highlights the maturation of Indian democracy, although challenges like fewer opportunities and difficult contest conditions persist.

Key Points:

• Increase in Women Candidates: From 45 in 1957 to 726 in 2019, indicating significant progress in women's participation in politics.

• Success Rate Decline: Women's success rate in winning Lok Sabha seats has declined from 48.88% in 1957 to 10.74% in 2019.

• Male Candidates Growth: Male candidates increased from 1,474 in 1957 to 7,322 in 2019, with a decreased success rate from 31.7% to 6.4%.

• Winnability and Opportunities: Experts highlight the higher winnability of women but point out the lack of opportunities and challenging contest conditions they face.

Additional Insights:

• The significant growth in the number of women candidates contesting Lok Sabha elections underscores a positive trend towards gender inclusivity in Indian politics. However, the persisting disparity between the numbers of male and female candidates and the declining success rates indicate that more efforts are needed to create equal opportunities for women in the political arena.

• Political parties' reluctance to nominate women candidates for winnable seats suggests underlying biases and the need for systemic changes to ensure a level playing field.

Keywords Explained:

• Lok Sabha: The lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, representing the people of India.

• Election Commission: A constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India.

• Winnability: The likelihood of a candidate winning an election based on various factors including party support, public image, and constituency demographics.

Published in : The Hindu

Date appeared in newspaper : 08 April 2024

Link to the article (might require a paid subscription) :https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2024-04-08/th_international/articleG9ICL38H6-6390506.ece

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