Context

The number of women candidates grew 16-fold from 1957 to 2019, as per latest ECI data.

Key-highlights of the Data

• In 1957, there were just 45 women candidates contesting theLok Sabha election; by 2019, this figure had risen to 726.
• The percentage of women in Parliament has increased from 4.5% in 1957 to 14.4% in 2019.
• The number of male candidates has grown from 1,474 in 1957 to 7,322 in 2019.
• This means that the number of men contesting has multiplied by five times; for women, the growth has been 16-fold.
• In 1957, a mere 2.9% of candidates were women; in 2019, they make up around 9% of the total pool of candidates.
• However, the number of women candidates has never yet crossed 1,000.