01Polity & Governance·7 min read·Prelims · Mains
Only 10.2% women fielded in 20 Assembly polls since passage of women’s Bill in 2023: report
This ADR report exposes the gap between the 33% reservation mandate and actual candidate selection by parties. Prelims may test data on women representation; mains can analyze implementation challenges, political will, and structural barriers. UPSC polity and governance sections directly benefit from this analysis. Prelims may test definitions, institutions, and timelines; mains may ask implications for governance, federalism, and implementation. Most relevant for OPSC, RPSC, TNPSC.
- Only 10.2% women were fielded in 20 Assembly elections since the passage of the women's reservation Bill in 2023, according to ADR analysis.
- In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, only 9.6% candidates were women, and 28% of constituencies had no women candidates.
- Highest women candidates in Assembly polls: Odisha (13.9%), Delhi (13.7%), Puducherry (13.6%); lowest: Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir (4.9%).