Women’s Voting Behaviour in India and the Role of Gendered Policies

Abstract

Women's voting behaviour in India has been greatly affected by the public policies formulated with a specific focus on gender equality that improved their social, economic and political status. Increased women's involvement in elections has been made possible through a package of measures (e.g. reservations in local government, welfare schemes, gender legal reforms etc) targeting gender equality. Meanwhile, women's involvement in the political, economic and social sphere continues to be restricted by entrenched social expectations, gender disparities, and poverty. The increase in the number of female voters signifies greater political awareness; however, their choices are also affected by family pressures, community demands as well as party organized mobilization by genders.

The current paper examines whether gender sensitive policies really do enhance the autonomy of women in India's politics in respect of voting behaviour. It also explores political parties' responses to women's concerns and what impact welfare pledges to women women make on their decisions to vote. In addition to being influenced by caste, religion and class, women's political engagement is also influenced by other social dimensions of sexism. Women's empowerment is inadequate in electoral change politics, although there has been significant progress, with gender-based violence, the low representation of women in higher political office, and symbolic rather than real participation in policy-making processes still affecting women's empowerment. Institutional reform and political training, in addition to public awareness programs and continued efforts toward inclusive governance, are needed to address these issues. Gaining insight to these dynamics is vital to establish a stronger and more representative democracy in India.