India: women's political empowerment will enhance governance and boost the economy

Gender equality in politics will not only ensure fair play and accountability, but support the economy too. Women must pitch in more as voters, poll workers, candidates and lawmakers.

India’s electoral landscape is set for a transformative gender shift. A gender gap in voter turnout still exists, although it has reduced considerably since the early years of Indian democracy. Given the current trend of increasing women’s participation in polls, projections by Soumya Kanti Ghosh and Anurag Chandra of SBI (bit.ly/3u5oGPH) show that women’s voter turnout would exceed that of men by 2029 and reach 55% of the total by 2047. Five recent state elections saw well above 70% of eligible women voting. Rural gains stood out.