Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam: Addressing Political Underrepresentation of Women in Legislatures

Indian Express - Opinion · 13 Apr 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in September 2023, mandates one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, aiming to correct the stark underrepresentation of women in India's political decision-making bodies.

Key points

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a landmark legislation that rotationally reserves one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, addressing a structural imbalance in political representation.

In 2024, only 13.6% of Lok Sabha members were women, a decline from 14.4% in 2019, while state assemblies have only 9% women MLAs, placing India 143rd globally in women's parliamentary representation.

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments serve as a proof-of-concept, with 46% of elected representatives in local governments being women, demonstrating the transformative impact of reservation.

[GS2-Governance] Studies show women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions are less corrupt and more likely to invest in health, education, and drinking water, linking representation to better governance outcomes.

Economic empowerment of women, with over 30 crore Jan Dhan accounts and 70% beneficiaries in microcredit programs, contrasts sharply with their political underrepresentation, highlighting a democratic deficit.

[GS3-Economy] Women's increasing participation in STEM, Armed Forces, and entrepreneurship underscores the need for political representation to reflect these socio-economic advancements.

Reservation at local-government levels has increased women's participation in higher political offices, indicating the potential of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to create a political pipeline for women.

The legislation aligns with Prime Minister Modi's vision of women-led development, marking a historic correction in India's democratic design, though its implementation awaits delimitation.

Way Forward: Expedite the delimitation exercise to activate the Act's provisions, ensure transparent implementation, and complement reservation with capacity-building programs for women legislators to maximize governance impact.

Key terms

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments

These 1992 amendments mandated one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies, creating a framework for decentralized governance and women's political participation, now serving as a model for higher-level reservations.

Delimitation

The process of redrawing electoral constituency boundaries based on population changes, crucial for implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam as it determines the allocation of reserved seats.

Political Pipeline

The concept that reservation at lower levels of government (like PRIs) creates a talent pool of women leaders who can ascend to higher political offices, demonstrating the long-term institutional impact of affirmative action policies.

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

A constitutional amendment passed in 2023 that reserves one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. It aims to address the gender gap in political representation and aligns with the constitutional mandate of equality under Articles 14, 15, and 16.