ADR highlights stark gender gap in Indian politics: Only 10% of MPs, MLAs are women

By A Representative

On International Women’s Day, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch released a comprehensive report that paints a sobering picture of women’s political participation in India. The study, which analysed 51,708 candidates across the current Lok Sabha and State/UT Assembly elections, found that only 5,095—or 10 percent—were women. Out of 4,666 MPs and MLAs in the country, just 464 are women, again amounting to 10 percent.

“This analysis takes a look at participation of women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies,” ADR noted, adding that the findings underscore the urgency of implementing the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women.

The report highlights stark disparities. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 800 of 8,360 candidates were women, and 152 constituencies had no women candidates at all. While constituencies like Baramati in Maharashtra and Secunderabad in Telangana saw relatively high female participation, many others remained entirely male-dominated. Among national parties, the BJP fielded the highest share of women candidates at 16 percent, followed by the Congress and CPI(M) at 13 percent each. In contrast, the Aam Aadmi Party did not field a single woman among its 22 candidates.

State assemblies reflected similar patterns. Out of 43,348 candidates analysed, only 4,295 were women, and 41 percent of constituencies had no female candidates. No state crossed the 15 percent threshold for women’s representation. Odisha and Delhi recorded the highest shares at 14 percent, while Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir languished at the bottom with 2 to 5 percent. In Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur West constituency, 12 women contested, the highest in any assembly seat.

Party-wise analysis revealed wide variations.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) stood out with 25 percent women candidates, while the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) fielded 15 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, parties like AIMIM and CPI had only 5 percent women candidates, and several regional outfits fielded none at all. Independents fared poorly too, with women making up just over 8 percent of their total candidates.

ADR’s findings underline the structural barriers that continue to limit women’s entry into electoral politics. Despite decades of debate and advocacy, women remain underrepresented both as candidates and as elected representatives. The report concludes that without systemic reforms—such as the proposed reservation bill—the promise of gender parity in Indian politics will remain elusive. As ADR observed,

“Out of total 51,708 candidates analysed who contested in the current Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across the country, only 5,095 (10%) are women. Among 4,666 MPs/MLAs across the country, only 464 or 10% are women.” This stark reality, released on March 8, serves as both a reminder and a call to action for greater inclusivity in India’s democratic institutions.

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