Women are rewriting the grammar of elections

The Bihar election once again underscored the growing electoral power of women in reshaping the political landscape. While women are under-represented in Parliament and legislatures, they are a force to reckon with in elections. To an extent, chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar, was able to beat anti-incumbency, thanks to his far-reaching support for women’s development. The surge in women’s vote share reflects socio-economic and cultural shifts, alongside regional dynamics that are transforming women’s political participation and influence. The pattern of rising women voters is the result of developments over the past decades that have created structural change such as institution-backed spaces for women to come into public life.

Women’s political representation and their vote share are interconnected. Their transition from the domestic to the public or political sphere has been due to the election of more than 1.4 million........

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