Story in numbers: Women in state Assemblies and Councils

In the 16th Lok Sabha, only 12% of members are women, which is 64 of 534

In the 16th Lok Sabha, only 12 per cent of members are women (64 of 534). In the Union council of ministers, 12 per cent are women. However, there is an improvement in participation of women electors in the general election. Of the 318 first-time elected members, 43 are women (14 per cent). Over the years and in the 16th Lok Sabha election, 66 per cent of women electors have participated vis-a-vis 67 per cent participation by male electors. 
 
As of 2016, nine per cent of the state Assembly members and five per cent of the state council members are women. Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan have the highest share of women in their respective assemblies (14 per cent). There is no woman in the state assemblies of Mizoram, Nagaland and Puducherry.
 
Of the 28 states/Union Territories, whose data on elected representatives in panchayati raj Institutions (women in panchayats) are available, 14 have equal representation of women and men. In seven, the share of women is even more than 50 per cent. Only in three — Jammu & Kashmir (29 per cent), Daman & Diu (29 per cent) and Punjab (30 per cent) — is women representation less than one third.