The Woman Voter in India: A 'Labharthi' or an Agent of Change?
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Electoral politics, Voter behavior, Vote Bank politics); Social Issues (Women's Issues); Governance (Welfare Schemes).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Role of women and women's organization; Social empowerment; Salient features of Indian Society (examining the intersection of gender with caste, class, etc.).
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. The topic connects welfare politics with electoral behavior and women's empowerment.
Essay: A very likely topic on Women in Politics, Gender and Democracy, or the nature of Indian electoral politics.
Key Highlights from the News
Political parties in India are increasingly announcing special welfare schemes (like cash transfers) for women, seeing them as a separate vote bank.
Two sides of this trend:
Advantage: This increases women's political importance and gives them more agency (ability to make their own decisions) through schemes like cycles, toilets, and cash transfers.
Disadvantage: This portrays women merely as labharthis (beneficiaries). It keeps them on the political sidelines instead of seeing them as active citizens.
Women are not a monolithic category. Their caste, religion, class, and region all influence their voting decisions.
A major paradox: On one hand, parties try to attract women as voters. On the other hand, in processes like Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), women are most likely to lose their voting rights due to a lack of proper documentation.
Experts are divided on whether women have become a decisive force in elections. However, there is no dispute that their political importance is increasing, and they are becoming equal to other voting blocs.
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