And the gap widens

India's position at 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index should ring alarm bells — not just for policymakers but for every citizen who believes in equality. Despite marginal improvements in economic participation, education, and health, India’s abysmal performance in political empowerment drags down its overall parity score to 64.1%, one of the lowest in South Asia. This is not merely a statistical embarrassment; it is a reflection of systemic neglect.

At the heart of this dismal showing lies a bitter irony: India, the world’s largest democracy, continues to treat women’s political representation as a political inconvenience rather than a constitutional necessity. The numbers speak for themselves. Women's representation in Parliament has fallen from 14.7% to 13.8%, and the share of women in ministerial positions has slipped to a dismal 5.6%. This is not a blip — it’s a regression, year after year, with no credible explanation or accountability from the political establishment.

Yes, the Women’s Reservation Act was finally passed in 2023 — a full 27 years after it was first introduced. But even this long-awaited legislation has been rendered toothless by delay tactics, with its implementation pushed to 2029, pending a Census and delimitation exercise. These caveats are not just bureaucratic hurdles; they are strategic deferrals that perpetuate a status quo where male dominance in politics is safeguarded.

That India improved slightly in economic indicators — like a modest 0.9 percentage point rise in income parity and stable labour force participation — is not enough. Economic opportunity without political agency is a hollow victory. Representation is not just a matter of headcounts; it shapes policy priorities, allocates resources, and, ultimately, changes the lived realities of half the population.

It is time to discard the pretence that progress is being made when the foundation of political inclusion remains so fragile. Climbing the ranks in global indices is not the end goal. True progress lies in dismantling structural barriers, confronting patriarchal mindsets, and ensuring that power is not merely granted in fragments but shared in full.

Political parties must stop hiding behind the future promise of legislation and act now. There is absolutely nothing preventing them from fielding more women candidates in the upcoming elections. If the Constitution is to mean anything, if democracy is to be inclusive in spirit and practice, the representation of women must become the rule, not the reluctant exception.