Tamil Nadu just elected a new force.

For 15 years, Mamata Banerjee and her regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) party seemed to embody a political law of India's West Bengal state: they always found a way to survive.

On Monday, that ended.

SHUNTED TO THE back, the men must wait their turn. At an election rally on the outskirts of Kolkata, in the state of West Bengal, an all-female marching group leads the way.

The Women’s Quota Act of 2023 has officially been implemented, marking a significant step towards increased representation of women in legislative bodies.

The discourse surrounding the Women’s Reservation Bill, or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, shows how masculine politics has weaponised women’s issues.

The Indian government is seeking to expedite the implementation of a 2023 law that reserves 33 percent of seats in parliament and state assemblies for women, but has linked the move to a sweeping redrawing of parliamentary constituencies, sharpening political tensions.

Women voters have become a central point of discussion in elections in India in recent times.

THRISSUR: Rani Gouri Lakshmi Bai, Dr Mary Punnen Lukose, Ammu Swaminathan, Kuttimalu Amma, Accamma Cherian, Dakshayani Velayudhan, O Aisha Beevi, K R Gouri Amma…. These are some women luminaries who shaped Kerala’s socio-political trajectory.

"Woman is the builder and moulder of the nation's destiny. Though delicate and soft as a lily, she has a heart far stronger and bolder than that of a man.

As India moves towards the key state elections of 2026, women leaders across regions such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are shaping both electoral narratives and representation debates. 

As Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala prepare for Assembly elections, two decades of electoral data reveal a clear pattern: more women are entering the fray, but they are not winning in proportion to their participation.

On the morning of February 9, a large crowd gathered near the Mirpur-1 Eidgah field.

The air was filled with commotion and the festive rhythm of a band party. Rickshaws and cars came to a halt, and pedestrians stopped to watch.

In India, authorities often discuss gender inequality as a multifaceted problem, requiring a multifaceted solution. The existence of multiple social differences, such as caste and class, makes it more complex.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje recently asserted that women have to work three times as hard as men to establish themselves in mainstream politics.

India has established a comprehensive legal framework to protect women’s rights and ensure their safety, dignity, and equality. These laws address various forms of discrimination, violence, and exploitation that women face in society.

The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, today highlighted India’s experience of women’s participation in governance across the three-tier democratic framework, comprising Parliament at the Union level, State Legislatures, and Local Self-Government institutions.

Women’s rights activists and civil society organisations staged a protest in Kathmandu on Friday, accusing political parties of undermining the constitutional principles of inclusive democracy while selecting candidates under the proportional representation (PR) categor

UN Women India Country Representative Kanta Singh has launched a new think-tank aimed a

As Jammu and Kashmir gears up for another round of Rajya Sabha nominations, a familiar question returns, and once again, it risks being ignored: will a woman finally find a place at the table? For more than seventy years, the answer has been an unbroken no.

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking to expand the scope of the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013, to include political parties.

Posters with the picture of a young woman wearing a faint smile, and her educational qualifications highlighted in bold red, are plastered across the village of Jheepa in Uttarakhand’s Almora district.

In September 2023, India passed a law that had been in limbo for nearly 30 years — the Women’s Reservation Bill, now officially the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The country celebrated. Parliament roared in approval.

NEW DELHI: India moved up three places to be ranked 130th among 193 countries in the Human Development Index rankings for 2023 due to progress made in improving life expectancy through health sector initiatives, and sustained improvements in key dimensions of human deve

In a dramatic shift in

The We Women Want Festival And Awards by NewsX, was a power-packed session, featuring accomplished women from various fields, sharing their experiences and perspectives on empowerment.

In a historic turn of events for Jammu and Kashmir's political landscape, three women, including former minister Sakeena Masood, have emerged victorious in the latest Assembly elections, reaffirming the growing influence of female leaders in a traditionally male-dominat

It is still a man's world in the Haryana Assembly polls, with only 51 women candidates — most of them either having the backing of a political family or cel

The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir presents a unique set of challenges for women’s empowerment. Historically, the representation of women in political roles in the region has been limited.

Basanti Sabar, 30, is a third-time voter. But this time round, as the eastern Indian state of Odisha goes to the polls in simultaneous general and assembly elections, the former migrant worker will make a crucial shift in the way she votes.

Women constituted only eight per cent of the total 2,823 candidates in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections, with political activists saying it

The real testimony to women’s political rights will come when they hold significant positions of power across the political spectrum

A major shift in India's electoral landscape is anticipated by the end of this decade. A report by the SBI has claimed that women voters in India will surpass male voters from 2029 onwards.

CHENNAI: Indian parliament has finally passed the historic women's reservation bill or to call it by its proper name Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

A noteworthy trend is emerging in Indian democracy, where women are choosing to participate in the electoral process. As the percentage of women voters rises across India, it is yet to be seen how future elections will be impacted.

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In what is arguably a significant step forward for women in politics, 2023 saw two important events: the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill, and an increase in women’s participation in the Assembly elections in various states.

After a 12-month delay, the 12th Solomon Islands national general elections were held on 17 April 2024.

The Ministry of Women in Solomon Islands is looking at new legislation which could guarantee extra seats for women in provincial assemblies.

As a response to gender norms that continue to work against women’s entry into politics, 50 women across the eight provinces of the Solomon Islands are currently gathered in Honiara for the Second Practice Parliament for Women.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sog

A new government team named by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has women in nine of the 17 cabinet positions.

Members of Portugal's new parliament took up office on Friday, among them the country's first black women lawmakers who campaigned on promises to fight racism and inequality.

THIMPHU – In 2016, when Kinley Zangmo first put her name forward for the Mangmi post in Talo Gewog, Punakha, many still whispered that politics was a man’s domain.

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In Bhutan’s 2023 National Council elections, only one woman was elected to the NC from a female population of around 360,000.

In a society of transition, the role of women is also in transition in Bhutan, but the farsighted leadership of Their Majesties the Kings has helped Bhutanese women progress.

Identifying obstacles and focusing on long-term solutions to propose strategies for equal representation

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1995, with 29 Member Stat