Current Context : Recently, in 18th Lok Sabha elections, 74 women were elected and accounting for 13.6% representation in Lok Sabha.
- It is a slight dip in women representation as 78 women were elected to 17th LS (14.4% representation) in 2019.
- Overall, a total of 797 women contested the 2024 general elections that were held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.
- Recently, two women MPs elected as the youngest MPs –
- Priya Saroj (25) of Samajwadi Party elected from Machhlishahr in Uttar Pradesh,
- Congress’s Sanjana Jatav (25) from Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
STATUS OF WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN LEGISLATURE
- Out of 797 women contestants only 9.7% won in 18th LS elections while in 17th LS elections, 10.74% out of 726 women contestants won.
- While, representation of women in Lok Sabha increased from 5% in first LS to its highest in 17th LS (14.4%).
- In Rajya Sabha, women members constitute 05% of total members.
Globally, share of women in national parliaments is 26.9%.