• Shweta Patel
• Pari Rathi
• Disha Agrawal
• Pavaldeep Singh

This paper examines the state of women’s political representation and leadership in India: historical trends, institutional drivers (notably quotas and the Women’s Reservation Bill), socio-cultural barriers, the effects of female office-holders on policy and social outcomes, and forward-looking policy recommendations. India’s experience is notable for having large, legally mandated reservations for women at the local government level since the 1990s and for continuing debate over national parliamentary reservations. Empirical evidence from randomized and quasi-experimental studies in India shows that women leaders change local spending priorities, increase public goods valued by women, and act as role models that raise girls’ aspirations. Yet, despite these gains at the local level, women remain under-represented in state legislatures and Parliament; party gatekeeping, campaign finance gaps, political violence and harassment, and cultural norms limit women’s candidacies and electoral success. The Women’s Reservation Bill (128th Constitutional Amendment) represents a major institutional reform under discussion; its passage and implementation raise design and timing challenges. Policy options that combine improved quota design and enforcement, candidate pipelines, protections against political violence, and norms-shifting programs are most likely to produce sustained improvements in women’s substantive political representation in India. The paper synthesizes literature from Google Scholar, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), PRS India, World Bank, and key empirical studies and provides a bibliography with links to sources used.

women’s political representation, India, quotas, reservation, local government, political violence, role models.

"Representation of women In politics and leadership.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 11, page no.f467-f475, November-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2511577.pdf

"Representation of women In politics and leadership.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 11, page no. ppf467-f475, November-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2511577.pdf