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Women in Parliament and State Assemblies

Vital Stats

Women in Parliament and State Assemblies

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha on September 19, 2023.  The Bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.  A similar Bill had been introduced in Rajya Sabha in 2008, and was passed by the House two years later.  It lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.  This note takes a look at participation of women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.

Slow rise in the representation of women in Lok Sabha

Sources: Gender-Wise Statistical List, Lok Sabha, 2019; PRS.

Sources: Inter-Parliamentary Union Website as accessed on September 19, 2023; PRS.

  • Women representation in Lok Sabha has increased from 5% in the first Lok Sabha to 15% in the current Lok Sabha.

  • Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Norway, and South Africa have more than 45% women representation in their national legislatures.  Japan at 10%, lags behind India.

Note: Only parties with 10 or more members are shown.
Sources: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Websites as accessed on September 19, 2023; PRS.

  • Currently, 15% of Lok Sabha MPs and 13% of Rajya Sabha MPs are women.

  • Among parties with more than 10 seats in Lok Sabha, 42% of BJD MPs and 39% of TMC MPs are women. In Rajya Sabha, 17% of INC MPs are women.

 

No difference in ‘winnability’ of men and women candidates

Sources: Statistical Reports of General Election 2019, Election Commission of India; PRS.
  • TMC and BJD fielded the highest proportion of women candidates.  Across parties with 10 or more MPs, women were as likely to win as men.

9% of MLAs are women

Note: This does not include data for Puducherry and Sikkim.
Sources: Websites of State Assemblies; PRS.
  • No state has more than 20% women representation in its Assembly.  Chhattisgarh has the highest representation with 18% women MLAs, while Himachal Pradesh has just one woman MLA and Mizoram has none. 

Participation of women marginally less than men in the 17th Lok Sabha

Sources: Lok Sabha Website; PRS

 

  • Both men and women have more than 75% attendance in Lok Sabha.  Attendance and participation in Lok Sabha ensure that members are performing their legislative duties.   

Women and men legislators have similar educational backgrounds

Note: Based on data available for 464 MPs.
Sources: Lok Sabha Website; PRS.

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Note: Based on data available for 4,030 MLAs.
Sources: Websites of States Assemblies, Election Affidavits, Election Commission India; PRS.
  • There is no significant difference in the educational qualifications of men and women legislators.

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