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Behanbox is an independent media platform for gender journalism at the intersection of politics, policy, law and data.

May 19, 2019, 7 tweets

As #India votes in the final phase of #LokSabhaElections2019, we looked at #WomensRepresentation from 1951-2014 in some states that are voting today- Bihar, UP, MP, Himachal and Rajasthan( not voting today). Except UP, the % of women MPs has declined- a worrying trend.
Thread:

Bihar elected the highest percentage of women MPs to Lok Sabha in 1984. 20% of MPs were women.
Between 2009 and 2014, women MPs declined from 10% to 8%.

Rajasthan saw the highest proportion of women MPs in 1991-28 years ago- when it sent 16% women MPs to Lok Sabha. The decline since then has been dramatic.
Between 2009 and 2014, the proportion of Women elected from the state declined from 12% to 4%.

Himachal Pradesh has a short and dismal story of Women's representation. Only 3 women have been elected as MPs in 68 years- in 1951, 1984, 2004 and 2013 (by poll). Rest of the 12 Lok Sabhas had NO women MPs from the state.
#Data #History #WomensRepresentation

Punjab is one of the states with better #WomensRepresentation. In 1989 23% and in 2009 31% MPs were women- the highest in state's history. However, in the last General elections in 2014, only 4% of MPs were women- a dramatic decline.
#Data #History

Uttar Pradesh elected the highest proportion of women to Lok Sabha in its history in 2014 elections. 16% of the elected MPs were women, up from 13% in 2009. Will these elections see a higher proportion of women elected to Lok Sabha?
#Data #History #WomensRepresentation

Madhya Pradesh, like Punjab, elected the most women MPs in its history in 2009. 21% of MPs- highest in the state's history- were women. However, the number declined to 17% in 2014.
Whether 2019 will see women MPs from Madhya Pradesh peak, remain to be seen on 23rd May.

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