With rising turnout, growing electorate, women steadily outnumbering men in Lok Sabha seats

From the women’s reservation Bill passed by the BJP-led government at the Centre to AAP’s promise of Rs 1,000 a month and Congress’s proposed allowance of Rs 1 lakh per annum — ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, political parties have been pushing key legislative and development measures targeting women voters. Data drawn from three recent Lok Sabha elections shows that their focus on women voters is not surprising.

A number of indicators — from the share of women in the total electorate to their voter turnout — point to their rising participation in the electoral process. Also increasing is the number of parliamentary constituencies where women outnumber men among electors and voters.