Political Representation of Women

In today’s time, the issues related to women’s well-being and legal rights became a political concern. Many social and political groups have tried to raise the attention of the government toward the issues of women. However, regardless of these efforts,  such issues seem not to be attended adequately. Such behaviors of the government have led to many social feminist movements, where women openly raised their voices to address such issues and demanded equal rights in society. 

Although the result of such movements has led to some improvements and social changes, still many believe that such conditions can only change if women take charge of the power. Women can understand and address these issues more relevantly than anyone else. To bring out a change in society, they suggest that there should be more women as elected representatives. 

The percentage of women in political bodies has been historically low. In India, for example, in 2014, the proportion of elected women in the Lok Sabha reached 12 percent of its total strength for the first time. Their representation in state legislatures is less than 5 percent. Not only in India,  but the world average of women representatives is only 23.5 percent. Which is relatively low in comparison with male representatives. 

The only way to solve such a problem is to legally bind it to a certain proportion of women in elected bodies. Such arrangements can also be found in India’s Panchayati Raj. Women are given one-third of the seats in local government bodies such as panchayats and municipalities.

There are some women’s organizations and social activists, who are demanding similar representations in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. On which, the bill has been presented in the parliament but is yet to be passed. Although gender division is a social issue, if expressed politically, it can also benefit the disadvantaged group as well as can bring out a change in social conditions. 

Gender division in our society is seen as a natural and unchangeable concept. The roles of men and women in society have a hierarchical division according to their physical and social strengths, it is thought that men are biologically more suitable for technical and labor works, whereas, women are capable of household work only. But, More than a biological, it seems to be a social concept, enforced by some social expectations and stereotypes that are present in our society.