The rise in the number of women contesting Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu over the past five decades signals a gradual widening of political participation. However, data show that the gains remain modest when set against the scale of male dominance in the electoral field.

From just 11 women candidates in 1967, accounting for 1.41% of the total, the number has risen to 443 in 2026, which makes up 11.01% of the candidates. The increase is notable in absolute terms, particularly in recent years, but proportionally, women continue to occupy only a small share of the candidate pool.

During the 1970s and 1980s, women’s representation hovered below 3%, reflecting limited access to party structures and the broader social barriers that shaped political participation. A shift became visible by the late 1980s and early 1990s, though it was neither sharp nor sustained. By 1991, women constituted 3.6% of the candidates. The most significant departure came in 1996, when women made up 15.16% of the contestant pool, with 156 of them entering the fray.

Yet, this moment proved to be an outlier. In subsequent elections, the proportion fell back to around 5% to 6%, suggesting that the spike was tied to specific political conditions rather than a structural shift in candidate selection. In the two decades that followed, women’s participation remained relatively stagnant even as the total number of contestants increased. The elections in 2001, 2006, and 2011 saw women’s representation stay within a narrow range.

A more visible rise has occurred only in the last decade. The 2016 election saw 320 women candidates, or 8.58%, followed by 413 candidates in 2021, pushing the share slightly past 10% for the first time. While this increase points to a gradual opening up of the electoral space, the widening in numbers has not altered the underlying imbalance.

In 2021, male candidates still outnumbered women by nearly nine to one. The expansion of the overall contestant pool has diluted proportional gains, keeping women’s share well below levels that would indicate parity or even substantial representation.

Third gender

There has also been a small but significant development in terms of inclusion beyond the gender binary. Third gender candidates were officially recorded for the first time in 2016, with two contestants, and the same number contested again in 2021. However, in 2026, only one candidate, fielded by the Naam Tamilar Katchi, is contesting the poll.

CPI(M) Central Committee Member U. Vasuki said that increasing women’s representation in State Assembly politics is unlikely to happen in a meaningful way without a legal mandate. She pointed out that, left to themselves, most political parties continue to field only a small number of women candidates. A law ensuring quotas, she said, would be necessary to move beyond tokenism and bring more women into the electoral arena in a sustained way.

In a recent interview to The Hindu ahead of the 2026 Assembly election, DMK leader and Chennai South MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian said women’s representation had been an ongoing concern within the DMK. “We now have 19 candidates, which is an increase from the past,” she noted, pointing to efforts beyond Assembly nominations.

50% reservation

Citing the 50% reservation for women in the local bodies, she added that the presence of over 1,400 women councillors reflects a strengthening of grassroots democracy. “Any democracy must have a strong base at the grassroots level, because councillors and local body representatives are directly connected with the people and their localities. That representation has improved,” she said.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, passed in 2023 as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, promises 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, but is yet to be implemented.

The issue has returned to the centre of political debate now, with the Union government tabling fresh legislation linked to delimitation, alongside proposals to operationalise the quota, potentially from the 2029 general election.

Independent researcher Akshi Chawla said the demand for a women’s quota had been a longstanding one. “When it is implemented, one-third of the members will be women, which is a substantial share. That kind of presence can make a real difference. When there are only a few dozen women, their impact is limited, but with a group of that size, they can assert themselves more effectively,” she said, adding this holds true at the national and State levels.

She pointed out that many political parties, despite supporting the Bill, appear to be waiting for it to be enforced, rather than proactively fielding more women candidates. “If parties do not create space for women or invest in nurturing and supporting them, where will these candidates come from,” she asked, adding that in such a scenario, those with existing political connections are more likely to be fielded.