Now Reading: Women make up under 10% of MLAs in 20 States, UTs
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Women make up under 10% of MLAs in 20 States, UTs
The Story in Brief
Women account for less than 10% of legislators in 20 States and Union Territories, according to data published by The Hindu. Tripura is the only State where women reach 15% of the Assembly. Their share is 8.2% in Gujarat, 8.3% in Maharashtra, 5.1% in Tamil Nadu and 4.5% in Karnataka.
The Lok Sabha has 82 women MPs, or 15% of its members, while women represented 9% of candidates in the 2019 general election. The women’s reservation law proposes a one-third quota in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, but implementation depends on delimitation after a Census, making 2029 the earliest likely election for its use. Party figures also vary widely, from 41.7% women MPs in the Biju Janata Dal to 13.5% in the BJP.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that women’s representation is already being fixed by rising voter participation is too easy, while blaming one party alone is equally lazy. The figures show a wider failure across parties and States, with even large parties offering few women legislators. A quota may open doors, but its effect will depend on candidate selection, constituency rotation and whether parties nominate women in winnable seats. The next test is the number of women candidates fielded before 2029.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
