Reservation can open the door for women in our temples of democracy. But it must be ensured that such leaders are truly empowered and not reduced to representatives for male relatives
Political parties often claim there are not enough women leaders, but they have failed to invest in building them at the grassroots level. Representation Pic/iStock
The Women’s Reservation Bill may not have been passed, but a larger question has been raised — does the system truly want empowered women leaders, or just symbolic representation?
This is not a new struggle. Nearly 100 years ago, women leaders had already raised this demand. In 1917, Sarojini Naidu led a delegation demanding voting rights, marking the beginning of India’s organised women’s suffrage movement. Later, in the 1930s, Begum Jahanara Shah Nawaz strongly advocated for women’s education and political participation. Their efforts made it clear that women’s rights are not limited to one community, but concern society as a whole.
The journey of this idea has been long and difficult. Introduced in 1996, the Women’s Reservation Bill has been delayed for decades. Its 2023 revival has yet to result in meaningful implementation, as the Bill got rejected in Lok Sabha on Friday.
While there is agreement in principle to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women, action has been slow.
Meanwhile, India’s social indicators are moving forward. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the sex ratio is expected to improve from 943 in 2011 to 952 by 2036, with women making up nearly 48.8 per cent of the population. Women’s participation as voters has also risen sharply, from less than 60 per cent before 1999 to over 67 per cent in 2019, even surpassing men. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, women’s turnout stood at 65.8 per cent, slightly higher than that of men.
But this growing presence is not reflected in power. In the same 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only about 9.5 per cent (799) of the 8360 candidates were women, and just 74 were elected. The gap between participation and representation remains stark.
The situation at the state level is no better. In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, out of around 4000 candidates for 288 seats, only 364 were women, about nine per cent. Of these, just 22 were elected. These numbers clearly show how far India still is from equal political representation.
Even globally, according to some reports, India has a long way to go. Ranked 48th out of 146 countries in political empowerment, the country continues to lag in ensuring women’s presence in leadership and decision-making roles.
Another major concern is the rise of “proxy representation”. In many cases, tickets are given to women from political families, wives, daughters, or daughters-in-law, while real decision-making remains with male relatives. This is visible both in rural areas and cities like Mumbai. The face changes, but power often does not.
There are also deeper structural issues. Political parties often claim there are not enough women leaders, but they have failed to invest in building them at the grassroots level. Without training, support, and opportunities, independent women leaders struggle to emerge.
At times, the barriers are even more basic. In one case from Solapur, a woman candidate reportedly needed police protection just to file her nomination. This shows that the challenge is not just political, but social, where fear and pressure still restrict women’s participation.
This is not about women’s ability, which has already been proven. The real problem lies in a system long controlled by a few entrenched networks. For years, such was the male-dominated mindset that when it came to key appointments, from Mumbai police commissioner to chief secretary, women officers were often overlooked.
But the shift is now visible. Maharashtra has seen its first woman chief secretary and first woman director general of police. Today, it also has a woman deputy chief minister, a woman municipal commissioner, and a woman serving as joint commissioner of police (intelligence) in Mumbai. These are important milestones. They show that change is possible, but it must become the norm, not remain the exception.
If reservation is to truly succeed, it must go beyond numbers. Political parties must bring in women from diverse backgrounds and give them real authority, not symbolic roles. Society, too, must move beyond seeing women as placeholders and recognise them as decision-makers.
Reservation can open the door. But real empowerment will happen only when women walk through it with independence and power. Stree Shakti is welcome, but it must be real, not a proxy. Otherwise, no matter which party introduces or implements the Bill, women’s empowerment will remain a slogan, not a lived reality.
Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper
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