Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Women voters continue to rise, expected to surpass males in 2029
As India gears for the 17th Lok Sabha elections beginning on April 19, the historic gap between male and female voters has significantly decreased over the years.
Women's participation in elections, either as voters or as poll contestants, is crucial for sustainable and equitable development of the country along with achieving transformational economic and social changes. As India gears for the 17th Lok Sabha elections beginning on April 19, the historic gap between male and female voters has significantly decreased over the years.
Around 42 crore people voted in 2019 elections, of these, 19 crore were women. The overall number increased to 55 crore, including 26 crore women in the 2014 general elections, and 62 crores total voters with 30 crore females in 2019, as per latest report shared by SBI Research.
The report projected bridging the gap between male and female voters in the upcoming election years, with 68 crore voters including 33 crore female participants, expected to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
It stated that 2029 would be an inflection point which will represent women getting their due share on socio-economic fronts and should be a harbinger of harmonized growth.
“The current rate of polling could touch 73 crores voter turnout in 2029, of which, women voters at 37 crores could be outstripping registered men voters at 36 crores,” it said.
It is projected that around 115 crore people would be registered electors with nearly same proportion of men and women in 2047 (probable election year 2049), the report said, adding that female voter turnout should even increase to 55% and men's share might fall to 45% in the same year.
“In 2047, voter turnout would be at 80%, that is, around 92 crore people. Voter turnout will have more participation of women than men with 50.6 crore women, and 41.4 crore men signifying tectonic shift of electoral participation in India,” the report projected.
It is pertinent to note that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded the maximum number of women in India (32.2%), followed by the India National Congress (31.6%) in 2019 elections.
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