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Women’s Day: How many women MPs does Indian Parliament have? How it compares globally

March 08, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance Social Issues GS Paper 2 (Governance Social Justice Women's issues)
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What Happened

  • As of 2026, women comprise approximately 13-14% of the Lok Sabha membership — 74 out of 543 seats — placing India well below the global average of 26.9% for women's representation in national parliaments.
  • The 18th Lok Sabha (2024) returned 74 women MPs, slightly fewer than the 78 in the 17th Lok Sabha — a decline that runs against the broader global trend of improving women's representation.
  • India also lags behind several South Asian neighbours: Nepal (34%), Bangladesh (21%), and Pakistan (20%) all have higher shares of women parliamentarians.
  • The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 — the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — promises to reserve one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women, but its implementation is conditional on the first census-based delimitation after 2026, meaning it cannot take effect before the 2034 general elections at the earliest.
  • The gap between the constitutional promise of the 106th Amendment and its practical effect has sharpened debate about whether the legislation was substantive or symbolic.

Static Topic Bridges

Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 — Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, colloquially known as the Women's Reservation Act or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was passed by both Houses of Parliament in September 2023 and received Presidential assent on 28 September 2023. It inserts Articles 330A and 332A into the Constitution to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women on a rotational basis.

  • One-third of total Lok Sabha seats reserved for women; rotation of reserved constituencies after each delimitation exercise.
  • Reservation also applies within SC/ST reserved seats — ensuring women from these communities also benefit.
  • Critical condition: The reservation will come into force only after the first census is published and the first delimitation exercise based on that census is completed. Given the 2021 census has been delayed, implementation is unlikely before 2034.
  • The Act does not reserve seats in the Rajya Sabha or state legislative councils (upper houses).
  • India will join 64 countries that reserve seats for women in their national parliaments once implementation begins.

Connection to this news: The Act's delayed implementation means India's current low representation (14%) will persist for at least another decade, making near-term improvement dependent on political party decisions about candidate selection rather than legal mandate.

Women's Political Representation — Global Context

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) tracks women's representation in national parliaments globally. The global average as of 2025 stands at 26.9%. Regional averages vary significantly: Nordic countries lead globally (above 40%), while South Asia and the Arab world lag behind.

  • IPU's annual report (Women in Parliament: 1995-2025) shows a slow but steady global increase — from under 12% in 1995 to 26.9% in 2025.
  • Countries with quota laws consistently outperform those without: gender quotas are among the most reliable predictors of women's parliamentary representation.
  • Rwanda is a global outlier with over 61% women in its lower house — a product of post-genocide constitutional design and electoral quotas.
  • South Africa: ~46% women in parliament; UK: ~35%; US: ~29%; Nepal: ~34%; Bangladesh: ~21%; Pakistan: ~20%; India: ~14%; Sri Lanka: ~5%.
  • "Reserved seats" systems (as India is adopting) and "party-level candidate quotas" are two distinct mechanisms for improving representation.

Connection to this news: India's 14% places it in the lower quartile globally, behind most South Asian peers, underscoring both the significance of the 106th Amendment's promise and the urgency of expediting its implementation.

Article 330 and Reservation of Seats in Lok Sabha

Article 330 of the Constitution reserves seats in the Lok Sabha for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in proportion to their population. The 106th Amendment added Article 330A, extending the same constitutional mechanism to reserve seats for women. This constitutional model — reserving seats in the lower house itself — is distinct from the political party quota approach used in many democracies.

  • Original Article 330 reservation (SC/ST): Intended for a period of 10 years from 1950; extended repeatedly by successive constitutional amendments, currently extended to 2030 by the 104th Amendment Act, 2020.
  • The 106th Amendment's "rotation" mechanism means no single constituency is permanently reserved for women — reserved constituencies change after each delimitation.
  • This rotation is intended to prevent the stigmatisation of "women's constituencies" but critics argue it reduces incumbency advantage for women politicians.
  • Delimitation Commission: A statutory body constituted under the Delimitation Act; Article 82 requires delimitation after each census. The next delimitation depends on completion and publication of the 2021 census.

Connection to this news: Article 330A is the constitutional vehicle for women's reservation in Lok Sabha, but the census-delimitation condition means its promise remains deferred, keeping India's representation stuck at 14% in the interim.

Key Facts & Data

  • 18th Lok Sabha (2024): 74 women MPs out of 543 total — approximately 13.6%.
  • 17th Lok Sabha (2019): 78 women MPs — approximately 14.4%.
  • Global average women's representation in national parliaments: 26.9% (IPU, 2025).
  • Nepal: 34%, Bangladesh: 21%, Pakistan: 20%, Bhutan: 17%, Sri Lanka: 5%.
  • Rwanda: 61%+ (global leader). Nordic average: 40%+. South Africa: 46%. UK: 35%. US: 29%.
  • 106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam): Passed September 2023; reserves one-third Lok Sabha seats for women.
  • Implementation condition: First delimitation after publication of first census post-enactment — earliest possible implementation: ~2034.
  • Article 330A (inserted by 106th Amendment): Constitutional basis for women's reservation in Lok Sabha.
  • India has never had a female Prime Minister; has had one female President (Pratibha Patil, 2007-2012) and one female Speaker (Meira Kumar, 2009-2014).
  • Total women in India's Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha, 2024): approximately 100 out of 788 members.