Women make up only 9.5% of LS candidates: ADR

The ongoing Lok Sabha elections have revealed a stark gender disparity, with women candidates constituting less than 10 per cent of the total, as per data analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Out of the 8,337 candidates in the fray, a mere 797 are women, which is just 9.5 per cent of the total candidates contesting in the seven-phase elections.

Interestingly, this is the first election since the introduction of the women’s reservation bill, which aims to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. The bill, however,

which has been pending for 27 years due to lack of consensus among parties, is yet to be implemented.

In the first phase of the elections, only 135 out of 1,618 candidates were women. This

trend persisted in the subsequent phases, with women candidates forming a small percentage of the total.

In the second phase, out of 1,198 candidates (affidavits of 1,192 candidates were analysed), 100 were women. The third phase saw 1,352 candidates, including 123 women and 244 with criminal cases.

The fourth phase had 1,710 candidates (affidavits of 1,717 candidates were analysed), with 170 women. The fifth phase had the least number of candidates at 695, including 82 women. In the sixth phase, out of 866 candidates (affidavits of 869 candidates were analysed), there were 92 women.

The seventh and final phase will see 904 candidates, with only 95 women.

This significant gender imbalance has drawn criticism from political analysts and activists, who question the reluctance of political parties to proactively field women candidates, instead waiting for the implementation of the women’s reservation bill.

Dr Sushila Ramaswamy, a Professor at Delhi University’s Jesus and Mary College, stressed the