Only 8 states have over 10% women MLAs in India

Despite Parliament passing the Women's Reservation Bill, which reserves one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, current representation remains far below that target. The Hindu reports that women form less than 10% of MLAs in 20 states and Union Territories, with Karnataka at just 4.5% and Tamil Nadu at 5.1%. Only Tripura touches the 15% mark for women in a state assembly.

In the Lok Sabha, women hold 82 seats or 15% of the total, a figure that has never been exceeded in over 70 years. Among parties, the Biju Janata Dal has the highest share of women MPs at 41.7%, while the BJP has just 13.5%. India's 15% share of women parliamentarians is the second-lowest among BRICS nations, above only Iran's 6%.

The bill, first introduced in 1996, was passed in September 2023 but will only take effect after a delimitation exercise scheduled for 2026, pushing the earliest implementation to the 2029 general election.