Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process

– a perspective

Women’s Participation in the Electoral Process

– a perspective

Akshay RoutDirector General

Election Commission of Indiaakshaykrout@gmail.com

Democracy and ParticipationDemocracy and Participation

Democracy seeks to address socio-economic challenges, issues of livelihood, social justice and freedom through the instrument of representation.

People’s participation in decision making or direct stake-holding is the underpinning idea.

Election is starting point of democracy, if not the same as democracy

Need for active Participation to rule out any silent threat to democracy.

Global SceneGlobal Scene

Consistent decline in participation, more

consistently in recent years

1945-1975 – average turnout about 77%

1976-1990 – 74.8%

1990-2006 – 69.7%

India – 55-60%

Outlook - ConcernsOutlook - Concerns

Situation suggests a democracy deficit- Representatives increasingly represent smaller majorities – with participation declining and contestants increasing

Weakening of stake holding in governance through lower participation

Democracy might suffer slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment

Challenge is: How to engage the excluded, the disaffected, the alienated

People must know their identity as voters and voters must know importance of voting

The Broad and the Narrow FocusThe Broad and the Narrow Focus

Education in universal role of creating ability and raising individual’s capacity to participate, remove pathological conditions that induce non-participation

Civic Education – larger and long term Electoral education- ongoing process,

needs more lead time for practice and implementation

Voter education – election time, pre-election time

Systematic Voters‘ Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP)Systematic Voters‘ Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP)

• Social agenda of Commission

• Development approach combines with

enforcement

• Gives election management its soul

• Information + motivation + facilitation =

Participation

• Implemented in 23 General Elections

(Jharkhand to Delhi) and 4 annual Revision of

Rolls

SVEEP - AimsSVEEP - Aims

To ensure that every eligible citizen is enrolled and to bring every enrolled elector to the polling booth voluntarily

Addressing:Gaps in Voter RegistrationLow and declining turnout in polling

Informed, ethical and inducement free voting Continuous electoral democracy and civic

education

Institutional ArchitectureInstitutional Architecture

ECIChief Electoral Officer

District Election Officer/ (DMs /Collectors)

Electoral Registration Officer (Constituency)

Booth level Officer (polling station area)

• Division at ECI

• CEO to chair State Core Committee,

• Addl/Joint CEO SVEEP at State Hqs

• DEO/CEO(ZP) to chair District Core Committee

• SVEEP Nodal Officer in district for election

Situation Analysis: Situation Analysis:

Three major gaps:Gender GapUrban ApathyYouth disconnect

Inclusion (weaker sections and citizens in difficult conditions)

Identifying micro-level gapsPolling Stations with lower voter turnout

and reasons thereof identifiedIdentification of left out sections/groups

Targeted interventions

Process Achievements : Infrastructure

• National Framework• Major consultations• National Voters’ Day• District and State Plans for elections• Plans for Summary/Special revision• Financial resource/Budget made available• Training • Awareness Observers in elections

Process Achievements: partnerships

• Central Government Departments/organizations

• Educational Institutions

• Civil Society and Youth Organisations

• Government Media

• State Government Departments with community reach

• Engagement of Campus Ambassadors

• New access points like banks, post offices, hospitals etc

• Icons – national and regional

Formal PartnersFormal Partners

MoU with UNDP for various programmes including Voter education

MoU with National Literacy Mission Authority of India for electoral literacy in rural areas

Prominent media houses and CSOs at national and state levels. Framework of Engagement also for corporates.

SVEEP Summary Scores

• Ownership

• Institutionalization

• Established partnerships

• Momentum and sustainability

• Turnout and registration figures

Participation SurgeParticipation Surge

2009-2013

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2009-11)

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2009-11)

75.7

2

45.8

5 57.0

3

72.3

8

70.8

2

85.4

1

81.6

7

76.0

5

52.6

5

56.9

6

74.9

2

78.0

1 85.5

2

84.4

6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Assam Bihar Jharkhand Kerala Tamil NaduPuducherry WestBengal

Previous AE

Latest AE

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2012)

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2012)

70.0

5

59.7

7 71.6

1

75.0

2

63.9

6

45.9

6

81.7372.02 73.51

78.57

67.2259.4

0102030405060708090

Goa Gujarat HimachalPradesh

Punjab Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh

AE 2007

AE 2012

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2013)

Comparative Voter Turnout(Assembly Elections 2013)

70.5

1

64.6

8 69.2

8

80.0

2 86.1

9

66.4

9

91.2

2

57.5

8

77

71.4

5

72.5

2

81.2

9

90.5

7

75.2

91.8

2

65.1

3

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95AE 2008

AE 2013

Women’s CaseWomen’s Case

FactsFacts

National Gender Ratio – 933*

Rural – 946*

Urban – 900*

This adverse gender ratio is reflected further

in registration: under-enrolment of women;

In voting, the gap is widened further with the

lesser percentage of women turning up.* Census 2011

Women participation in Lok Sabha Elections

Women participation in Lok Sabha Elections

Female focus by ECIFemale focus by ECI

Gender gap in Electoral Roll is specifically

monitored and all demand and supply side

measures are being taken.

Women specific education tools are being

developed

Women specific communication tools are

used

Female facilitation in polling stations

Female focused Interventions

Female focused Interventions

Partnership with National Rural literacy Mission

to spread electoral literacy among rural women

ECI Campus Ambassadors being appointed in

Colleges/Universities will be 50% or more from

among girls

Anganwadi , ASHA and other female field level

workers involved in big way.

Out of the four national Icons 2 are women

Outcome -1Outcome -1

Focus on women has yielded results and

16 of the last 23 Assembly elections since

late 2009, saw higher women turnout

percentage than men.

This includes the likes of Bihar, Uttar

Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have some

of the traditionally patriarchal societies.

Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2009-11)

Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2009-11)

Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2012)

Comparative Male/Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2012)

Comparative Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2013)Comparative Female Turnout(for Assembly Elections in 2013)

Outcome- IIOutcome- II

Turnout percentage of women rose

substantially over previous election

Uttar Pradesh - increase of 18%

Rajasthan - 10%,

Goa -14%

Uttarakhand, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and

Chhattisgarh - around 8-9% increase

Comparative increase in Male/Female turnout

Comparative increase in Male/Female turnout

Persisting Challenges(enrolment)

Persisting Challenges(enrolment)

Gender ratio on Rolls is lagging behind gender ratio in census by more than 10 points in 15 States

Of these gender gap is more than 50 points in 6 states

Gap between census and electoral roll gender ratio vary by more than 90 points in Uttar Pradesh

Challenges(turnout)

Challenges(turnout)

Gender gap in turnout in LS 2009 was more than 5% in 9 states viz Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh with Madhya Pradesh leading with a gap of more than 13%, J&K with 12% and Gujarat having a gap of around 9%

In Assembly Elections, the gender gap is minimised in most states post 2009

Expectations from ConsultationExpectations from Consultation

Identify ways by which the Ministries/ Departments/organisations

can partner with the Commission at national and at State level

Integrating women’s electoral participation/voters’ education

with various national programmes and outreach programmes of

the departments

Strengthen the collaboration with CSOs in the field of registration

also for voting especially at State and district level

Greater and sustained contribution from private media in the run

up to the Lok Sabha elections

Concrete commitment by Public Sector and Corporate Sector to

this participation agenda as part of their Corporate Social

Responsibility

thanks