Gender Disparity Persists: Kerala’s Female Voters Largely Underrepresented in State Assembly

Kerala, known for its significant female voter base comprising 52 percent of the electorate, grapples with a stark gender imbalance in its state assembly, where women hold a mere 8.5 percent of the seats. Despite claims of a pro-women approach by political fronts, their actions do not align with these assertions, with only 105 women candidates, including independents, participating in the last assembly elections. Notably, the three major political fronts collectively fielded only 47 women candidates, seemingly just meeting the 33 percent women reservation mandate.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led with 20 women candidates, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) fielded 15 and 12 women candidates, respectively. Allegations persist that women candidates are strategically placed in constituencies where the chances of victory are lower. In contrast, several other states, including Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, boast higher women representation in their state assemblies.