Only 10.2% women fielded in 20 Assembly polls since passage of women’s Bill in 2023: report

Since the transition of the women’s preservation Bill successful 2023, Assembly polls person been held successful 20 States and Union Territories (UTs) and retired of a full of 31,429 candidates who contested these elections, lone 3,273 (10.2%) women were fielded by governmental parties. The proportionality of women candidates did not transcend 14% crossed these States and U.T.s, according to an investigation by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The women’s preservation Bill arsenic passed mandates that 33% seats beryllium reserved for women.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which were held months aft the transition of the women’s preservation Bill successful 2023, retired of a full of 8,360 candidates analysed, lone 800 (9.6%) were women and 152 (28%) retired of 543 constituencies had zero women candidates, the study said.

State Assemblies which had the highest fig of women candidates were Odisha (2024) astatine 13.9%, followed by Delhi (2025) 13.7% and intimately followed by Puducherry (2026) 13.6%.

Arunachal Pradesh (2024) and Jammu and Kashmir (2024) recorded the lowest information of women candidates, with women constituting lone 4.9% of the full contesting candidates.

As acold arsenic the Lok Sabha polls were concerned, nary governmental enactment met the one-third (33%) benchmark for women candidates successful the 2024 wide election.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) fielded women candidates successful the scope of 13%-16%, respective State parties recorded substantially higher levels of pistillate representation. These included Naam Tamilar Katchi (50%), Biju Janata Dal (33%), Rashtriya Janata Dal (29%), and All India Trinamool Congress (25%).

In the 20 Assembly polls held since the transition of the Bill, among the nationalist parties, the INC fielded 33% women candidates lone successful the Sikkim Assembly election.

Among the State parties, Naam Tamilar Katchi contested the Puducherry and Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and fielded 50% women candidates successful some elections. In addition, CPI(ML)(L) fielded 56% women candidates successful the West Bengal Assembly predetermination and 33% successful the Assam Assembly election.

Samajwadi Party fielded 40% women candidates successful Rajasthan Assembly election. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) fielded 50% women candidates successful the Puducherry Assembly election, portion the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party allotted 50% of its tickets to women candidates successful the Delhi Assembly election.