For almost decades, Indian politics has been seen as male-dominated, and there are very few representations of women in politics, be it at the national level or the state level.
Since independence, it has been seen that women are deprived of their political rights, be it at the national level or the grassroots level, i.e., the panchayat. We can see several female politicians, but they were not given the same power through which they could bring changes in the lives of many women. However, since the coming of the BJP into power, there has been a change in the political landscape of the country. As we can see, the number of women who have emerged as political stalwarts in the country is increasing.
The 17th Lok Sabha of 2019 has seen the highest ever number of women representatives or members of parliament at 78, which has increased from 11.3% in 2014 to 14% in 2019, which has been a very positive development in the history of Indian politics. Thus, we can see a whole revolution in the political norms that have been in practice, with more women emerging as influential leaders, be it in state politics or at the national level. They have broken the patriarchal norms or have entered into the male-dominated arenas, thus bringing fresh changes to the government and the public welfare perspective.
There can be several instances of this, such as the most striking evidence of the trend in rising political power of women, like the chief minister post of various states as Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu, and the recently won election in Delhi of Rekha Gupta. They have not just held the positions but have also brought positive changes in the lives of many women & empowered their situation in a male-dominated patriarchal society.
Their leadership have changed the narrative that women are also capable administrators and can bring swift changes in the lives of several people. For example, Mamata Banerjee has been in power for 10 years now with her strong support base & leadership with grassroots connection and populist policies. Any nation needs to have women in a strong political arena, so they can work for the betterment of the female population, which is often ignored and suppressed by the conservative way of life.
The patriarchal thinking still doesn't allow women to be part of anything outside their household and limits their political freedom and rights. We can see this from Mayawati's rise through her party Bahujan Samaj Party. She was a Dalit woman, and for her to break such barriers was almost impossible due to the existing caste system in the country. However, she broke multiple barriers to become the Chief Minister of the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh and relied solely upon the strong grassroots political electorate.
Recently, the situation of women, like the crime rates, has increased in the country, and women's safety has always been a concern for India. Thus, it is necessary for women to stay in political power, who can take necessary action for the women's safety in the country. The rise of female leadership will also break the old age-practised notion of restricting women in the household and marriage only. Since 2014, with the rise of the BJP in power, we can see the rise of female political representation at the grassroots, state and national levels.
BJP has boosted the motive for female political representation. As we can see, several female politicians are part of the National Cabinet, be it Nirmala Sitharaman or the president elected by the BJP as Draupadi Murmu. At the state level, such as in the recent Delhi election, we can see Rekha Gupta coming to power, selected by the BJP.
Moreover, the reservation policy for the Panchayat and also the BJP-passed bill, which was recently passed in 2023, to reserve 33% of the total seats in the Parliament and State Assemblies for women, will also take the initiative to the next level. More women will be engaged with political work, be it at the state level or grassroots level, and it will help them to rise above the state level and reach the national level, as well as think and work for the welfare of the people, including women.
Since the rise of more women in state politics, they have often prioritised education, public health, child welfare, and sanitation, which were persistent issues and were ignored by the male-dominated political stalwarts for a long time. Also, there have been several welfare-oriented policies, such as Amma Canteens, Kanyashree and Ladli schemes, which have been put into operation empowering many females and girl children. Apart from that, women political leaders have also supported and encouraged the voting ratio or the participation of female voters in the elections, be it in the state or any other grassroots elections.
However, despite several improvements in the female political representation, there have been several obstacles which has not yet been broken. Women only comprise 9% of the total MLAs across the state assemblies in the country. And even sometimes, many parties do not give tickets during the election to many female candidates because of the existing patriarchal party structure and the male-dominated structure in the party. Also, due to the conservative society, women face a dual burden, such as working for public welfare, as well as they need to fulfill the societal expectations of family duties and motherhood, etc. This becomes difficult for them to balance both their private life and public life while serving the nation. Moreover, women from lower caste backgrounds, such as ST/SC, found it more difficult to represent themselves into the power politics despite having reservations.
Thus, even if challenges are there, the process has come a long way and needs more improvements, which will help the nation develop in a true sense with more female participation. Political parties should try to strengthen their support base from female voters as well, which will increase their turnout ratio and representation. A balanced political power in the country will take it to new heights, working for the good of all.