Women's Political Representation and Empowerment in India: With Special Reference to the State of Maharashtra (2014 to 2024)

Abstract The success and stability of a democratic system of governance depend not merely on the right to vote, but on inclusiveness in the decision-making process. In a diverse democracy like India, the political representation of women, who constitute nearly half the total population, is considered the foundation of empowerment. This research paper undertakes a critical study of women's political representation in India, and specifically in the state of Maharashtra, over the decade from 2014 to 2024, along with their autonomy in decision-making and the impact on empowerment.The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments granted 33% reservation for women in local self-government bodies, while Maharashtra amended this in 2011 to raise the proportion to 50%. This policy change produced a large cohort of women's leadership at the local level. However, this success at the local level does not appear to have translated proportionally into representation in the state legislative assembly or the national parliament. Between 2014 and 2024, the rising share of women in voting has brought them forward from "silent voters" to "decisive voters," yet indifference in party ticket distribution and patriarchal political structures remain major challenges. The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act passed in 2023 (the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) marks a historic milestone that has opened the path to 33% reservation in Parliament and state legislative assemblies. This study presents a detailed treatment of statistics from the local to the national level, administrative obstacles such as "proxy sarpanch husbands" or "proxy politics," autonomy in actual decision-making, discussion, and policy recommendations.