Women in Indian Politics: Barriers Persist Amidst Slow Quota Rollout

Despite the recent passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, women in India's political landscape continue to face pervasive systemic barriers, severely limiting their representation. The 18th Lok Sabha, formed after the 2024 elections, saw only 13.62% women MPs, a slight decrease from 2019, while state assemblies average a mere 9%. Key obstacles include male-dominated party hierarchies often relegating women to unwinnable seats, significant financial constraints for campaigning, and disproportionate reliance on dynastic ties for entry into politics. Social biases and patriarchal norms further compound these challenges. Although the Women's Reservation Bill guarantees 33% seats for women, its implementation remains delayed, linked to a future census and delimitation exercise. A recent legislative attempt to expedite this delimitation-linked reservation was defeated in the Lok Sabha.