AN OVERVIEW OF WOMEN IN THE POLITICAL ARENA

This research paper focuses on women in the political arena particularly in India. For years women have been treated
as second class citizens across the globe. Besides fighting for their basic rights, women have also had to fight for their
political rights. Although, in India women have been politically active since the pre-independence period, their
participation in the political sphere has been disproportionate. Historically, the Indian political system has been male
dominated and women’s representation has been low. Women may have been given the “Right to Vote” since the
beginning but their electoral representation has been low for many years. Multiple factors including a patriarchal
mind-set, illiteracy, lack of access to resources etc. have been at play even after independence for their poor
representation. To bridge the gender gap and to overcome the hurdles of gender stereotyping and gender
discrimination, equal participation of women in electoral politics is a must.
This paper essentially aims at analysing the current scenario in Indian politics with respect women’s participation. It
will also analyse the impact of reservation of seats for women in the local-self-governments and how this could be
replicated in the State Assemblies as well as the Parliament.