As the country nears the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, first-time voters have been keen participants of the democratic process. According to the Election Commission Of India (ECI), of the additional 5.6 crore voters since 2019, 1.8 crore are first-time voters, about 1.9% of the total.
Compared to 2019, when there were 1.5 crore first-time voters, enrolment of those aged 18-19 is up by about 20% this year.
Amongst these first-time voters, women account for 85.3 lakh as the electorates in the 2024 elections. Though disillusioned by years of unfulfilled promises, these first-time women voters are still keen to participate in the electoral process.
“With years of being denied equal opportunity in every walk of life, as a first-time voter, I would still choose to vote, as beyond making me feel involved in the political state of our nation, it's my only hope, for a better future”, Suhani Mittal, 20, a first-time woman from South Delhi said.
Sharing the same sentiment, Arshiya Rao, 21, from Delhi, added, “Given that we still have to ask for basic equality in educational and employment opportunities, I irrespective believe in exercising my right to vote because you never know when your vote can change things.”
The demands of the women voters seem unchanged so far. Appeal for a safer society, stricter laws, and a fair and equitable world continue to be the larger expectations. “So far there's no political incentive for candidates to take up gendered issues,” Suhani Duhan, 21, from Delhi said.
“On a personal level- as a woman residing in Delhi the biggest concern is safety,” Pragya Verma, 21, added.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report, the city topped the list among 19 metropolitan cities in terms of rape cases. On average, three rape cases were reported every day, resulting in a total of 1,212 sexual assault cases for the year.
“I need this city to be safer for women. For this, the government needs to get conversations going, victims supported and culprits severely punished, police empowered to do their duty with a huge degree of seriousness and integrity,” Suhani Mittal, 20, from South Delhi, said.
“I expect the future government to tackle the rise in rape cases, keep a check on the moral policing of women on various public platforms and pass strong laws to tackle marital rape,” Vaani Kumar, 22, from Vasant Kunj said.
The National Family Health Survey-4 data, which specifically provides the numbers for reported rape cases committed by the husbands, suggests that among the ever-married women, 83% of the women claimed their current husbands to be the perpetrators.
“Ideally, we should be passing strong laws to ensure no form of violence against women is tolerated- be it through certain institutions like religion, marriage, etc, or by the executive forces. Secondly, we need to curb the power of those who engage in moral policing of women on public platforms,” Kumar added.
“I hope gender sensitisation becomes a part of the school curriculum in the midst of growing misogyny amongst young boys due to the advent of social media, more scholarship opportunities are given to women in education and the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is made inclusive of young women,” Pragya Verma, 21, from Delhi said.
With efforts to incorporate gender sensitivity programs into the education system and stronger demands to make it a compulsory subject in school curricula, The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also plans to train teachers in skills and methodologies that promote gender equality. However, the plan is still in the process.
Verma emphasised women-centric research in medical sciences considering the high number of female deaths due to anemia (53% of all women have anemia as per the National Family Health Survey 2015–2016) and cervical cancer.
With regard to the economic growth of India, the trajectory has been lopsided towards a “preferred gender”. Be it the glass ceilings, pay gaps or unconscious biases, India is still a long way from realizing its much-hyped demographic dividend.
“I believe the workspaces could be more accommodative and we can achieve pay parity in the corporate houses. I hope India could be a place where women have basic facilities and the opportunities to seek employment while retaining their dignity at home and in workplaces.”, Arshiya Rao, 21, said.
According to a report by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation released in 2022, the female population in India lags significantly behind the male population, making up only 32.8 percent of the country’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and comprising merely 17.3 percent of the urban worker population ratio.
Women hold only 15 percent and 13 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively. The reality is that among the 28 states, Mamata Banerjee is the only woman Chief Minister. Indira Gandhi was the only woman Prime Minister in independent India's 76-year old history. There are few female political figures for younger women to look up to.
“I hope there could be more female leaders in the position of authority, who could better understand and relate to our problems and look at laws with a gendered perspective,”Srishti Chawla, 19, said. She is a first-time voter from Faridabad, Haryana.
With the Women’s Reservation Bill yet to be implemented, Arshiya Khan, 21, from Delhi, said, “I am interested to see whether one-third reservation for women will be implemented by the next elections, and what that would look like. Will it make gender an important electoral issue, the way caste or religion is right now?”
"The Dalit female belongs to the most oppressed group in the world," says Dr. Suraj Yengde, author of ‘Caste Matters’. A Dalit woman is often a victim of the institutions of oppression, both externally and internally, Khan added.
Sharing her electoral demand, Mansi Sachdeva, 21, from Delhi, said, “There’s also a massive requirement of reservations at the root level for Dalit women and other subjugated sections of women to ensure the empowerment is on ground level and not just in media posters. We need more opportunities for women who’re on the periphery of marginalisation”.
Years after the Supreme Court’s judgment, the transgender community continues to languish. “There is also an urgent need to accept and recognize the third gender and integrate them into our day-to-day social lives, to ensure that no form of gender-based exclusion is being practiced or promoted,” Kumar said.
Recognising women as important constituencies to win the elections this year, political parties, in their election manifestos, have appealed to the woman candidates by announcing various schemes.
One of the key pledges of the Congress is the implementation of 50% reservation for women in central government jobs, starting from 2025. The party has emphasized the principle of "Same Work, Same Wages" to ensure wage parity for women.
The party has pledged to strictly enforce laws against offenses such as sexual harassment at workplaces and domestic violence, prioritizing the safety and well-being of women. They have proposed infrastructure initiatives, including doubling the working women’s hostels and installing free napkin vending machines in schools, colleges, and public places, to address practical needs and challenges faced by women in society.
On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rolled out several women-centric schemes like the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, which aims to empower economically weaker women. The Swadhar Greh Scheme, promises to offer shelter and support to women in difficult circumstances, ensuring their safety and well-being.
Gendered issues usually don't get much political traction in India, unless they're set up as a getaway to a larger scheme. However, most political parties try their best to get female voters on their side, by offering things such as tap water connections, LPG cylinders, subsidised rations, etc. While these policies benefit households as a whole, given that women carry out the brunt of unpaid labor at home, they specifically target them as voters.
“I would like to see issues like the unfair division of housework being discussed in national politics, as opposed to politicians simply placating women with favourable promises before elections,” Duhan said.