• The role of women in Indian politics has long intrigued researchers, particularly due to the striking contrast between the emergence of prominent female leaders and the generally low levels of political involvement among women. While many nations saw the gender gap in political participation begin to close in the 1990s, India experienced this change much later, around the 2010s.
• Debates about women’s political roles often emphasize societal and cultural obstacles that limit their success in elections, yet little focus is given to how ordinary women interact with the voting process when given the chance.
• Their voting behavior, preferences, and influence on election results remain largely unexamined. Moreover, while political parties and women’s advocacy groups often praise female voters during election periods, they tend to view them as a uniform group, ignoring how factors like caste, class, religion, and geography shape their political actions.
• Examples such as women’s backing of Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. elections or their involvement in India’s 1990s riots reveal the intricate nature of women’s political participation, calling for deeper exploration.
• By analyzing how women cast their votes and whether their decisions stem primarily from gender or other social factors

Passive Recipients or Decision-Makers?

• As noted, women’s voting participation surged significantly in the 2010s, prompting political parties to target them with tailored policies and programs. However, these efforts often cast women as mere recipients of benefits rather than active political players.
• Welfare schemes like Ujjwala and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were key to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 2019 parliamentary win, while initiatives such as ‘Ladli Behna’ and ‘Ladli Laxmi’ bolstered its success in Madhya Pradesh. Such programs tend to portray women as reliant on political generosity, rather than as independent actors in the democratic process.

Beyond the Ballot

• The uptick in women’s voter turnout during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is significant, but political engagement extends beyond voting to include activities like attending rallies, joining campaigns, affiliating with parties, and advocating for policies.
• In these areas, women continue to trail men. Although only 14% of women say they consult their spouses about voting—suggesting increasing independence—this figure is still notably higher than for men, hinting at persistent social and structural constraints on broader political involvement.

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