Women’s political participation in electoral processes requires targeted support to overcome gender discrimination. Key strategies for enhancing gender balance in electoral processes include: working with political parties to promote gender sensitive policies and practices to foster women’s leadership; targeted outreach and support for women to register to vote and safely access polling stations; guarantee of protection from election related violence and harassment; the use of quotas and temporary special measures to increase women’s representation; effective technical and financial support to women candidates and political leaders; and engagement of male champions for women’s empowerment and gender equality.
With a record 78 MPs, this election proved that female candidates can win.
Meet some first-timers without any political lineage to find out the odds they conquered on the way to Parliament.
The newly-elected 17th Lok Sabha set the record with highest number of woman: 78 MPs. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, which was sworn-in on Thursday, in a largest-ever gathering, has only six women ministers in the government.
Breaching a largely male bastion, India's new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday became the first woman in 48 years since then prime minister Indira Gandhi to hold charge of the key ministry.
Women will make up about 15% of the lower house of parliament — less than the global average.
The outcome of the world’s largest election is almost upon us – the counting of votes by 900m eligible voters begins on May 23.
Swati Yadav had lost count of the number of village campaign stops she had made since her morning began — was it 27, or 28?
Women politicians have made it to the top headlines this poll season.
By Ruth Igielnik and Kim Parker,
By Ruth Igielnik and Kim Parker,