Delhi voting: Women not first among equals

NEW DELHI: When it comes to the number of voters,

gender imbalance

shows up

majorly

in the

capital

. The

gap

between

registered men

and

women voters

is

14.3 lakh

.

Data released by CEO Delhi after the final electoral roll update shows South Delhi constituency is the worst among the seven seats with a gender difference of 2.7 lakh. Chandni Chowk fares best among the seven seats with a gender gap of 1.3 lakh, followed by New Delhi with 1.7 lakh. In North West Delhi, the gap stands at 2.3 lakh; in East Delhi it is 2.19 lakh; in North East Delhi it is 2.14 lakh; and it is 1.85 lakh in West Delhi.

The gender imbalance is even more pronounced when it comes to the number of women candidates. Of the total of 164, only 16 or 9.7% are women. Each of three major parties has fielded just one woman candidate with AAP’s Atishi Marlena in East, BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi in New Delhi and Congress’s Sheila Dikshit in NE Delhi. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Delhi had sent only one woman MP — Meenakshi Lekhi — to Parliament.

Despite being the capital, Delhi has had a chequered past when it comes to women’s participation in the general elections. In 2014, at 44.5%, Delhi had the worst ratio of women electors in India. Puducherry had 52.1%; Andhra Pradesh had 49.6%; Gujarat 47.7%; Bihar 46.5%; and Haryana 45.9%. The percentage share of women

voters

over total votes polled in that election was also only 43.6%.

In 2009, Delhi had the worst ratio at 44.2% while the percentage share of women voters over total votes polled was 42.3%.

Data analysis by Centre for Study in Developing Societies shows a surge in participation of women in electoral politics. In 2014, women voter turnout was 65.6%, and the difference in turnout of men and women had narrowed down to 1.5%.

“However, it is equally clear that this feminisation of Indian politics is being resisted by the male-dominated political establishment and party personnel, apparatuses and procedures,” the study notes.