The Female Factor
Outlook|April 01, 2024
Female voters are set to outnumber male voters by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections in India. Yet, the number of women in the political domain remains woefully low
Rakhi Bose
The Female Factor

AHEAD of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 39-year-old domestic worker Usha Ranjith has a decision to make. 

Usha, a Malda native residing in Delhi for ten years, admires Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and her initiatives for women. However, she recognises that Lok Sabha elections determine the prime minister. “As a migrant worker, the policies of the Centre impact me as much as state policies, sometimes even more,” Usha says. 

As a mother of two, Usha juggles her household duties and job and keeps herself informed about welfare schemes and freebies offered to women, while monitoring political developments in her hometown. “It’s Didi versus Modi in Bengal this time,” she says, without disclosing which side she is on. 

Ranjith is one of the 47 crore women eligible to vote in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, making her part of one of the biggest political ‘vote banks’ to emerge this year. 14.1 million first-time women voters are eligible to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India this year. That is 15 per cent more than the number of new male voters. State Bank of India’s Economic Research Department (ERD) report has projected women voter turnout this year to be approximately 33 crore, which is 49 per cent of the total voters. After 2029, the report projects that at nearly 37 crore, women voters could outnumber registered male voters, whose count is pegged at around 36 crore. 

How has the quantum of women’s vote increased? And how does it impact elections? 

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 01, 2024 من Outlook.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 01, 2024 من Outlook.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من OUTLOOK مشاهدة الكل
Layers Of Lear
Outlook

Layers Of Lear

Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Loss and Longing
Outlook

Loss and Longing

Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful

time-read
6 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
Outlook

Suprabhatham Sub Judice

M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago

time-read
8 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Fortress of Desire
Outlook

Fortress of Desire

A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort

time-read
7 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Of Hope and Hopelessness
Outlook

Of Hope and Hopelessness

The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Ruptured Lives
Outlook

Ruptured Lives

A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles

time-read
5 mins  |
December 21, 2024
The Big Book
Outlook

The Big Book

The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
Outlook

How to Refuse the Generous Thief

The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
The Freedom Compartment
Outlook

The Freedom Compartment

#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers

time-read
1 min  |
December 21, 2024
Love, Up in the Clouds
Outlook

Love, Up in the Clouds

Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee

time-read
5 mins  |
December 21, 2024