Performing Representation ‘Th is complete guide to women’s presence and performance in India’s Parliament is a must read for anyone interested in gender and politics. Fascinating stories and critical analysis illuminate the multiple challenges women face in every dimension of their parliamentary politics/life.’ Niraja Gopal Jayal, Professor, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India ‘India—the most populous democracy in the world—has just 64 women in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), ranking 149th worldwide in this regard. Why? Th is terrifi c new study by Shirin M. Rai and Carole Spary provides fresh insights into issues of representation and representa- tiveness, gender and power, and the role of women in parliament—both within India and more broadly. Drawing upon qualitative and quantita- tive evidence, this book provides an essential contribution towards the literature on women in politics.’ Pippa Norris, Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, US Performing Representation Women Members in the Indian Parliament Shirin M. Rai Carole Spary 1 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries. Published in India by Oxford University Press 2/11 Ground Floor, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002, India © Oxford University Press 2019 Th e moral rights of the authors have been asserted. First Edition published in 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. ISBN-13 (print edition): 978-0-19-948905-3 ISBN-10 (print edition): 0-19-948905-X ISBN-13 (eBook): 978-0-19-909385-4 ISBN-10 (eBook): 0-19-909385-7 Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro 10.5/12.5 by Th e Graphics Solution, New Delhi 110 092 Printed in India by Nutech Print Services India 00__FFrroonnttmmaatttteerr..iinndddd iivv 1122//0099//1188 55::4488 PPMM Endorsement Performing Representation: Women Members in the Indian Parliament Shirin M. Rai and Carole Spary Print publication date: 2019 Print ISBN-13: 9780199489053 Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: March 2019 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199489053.001.0001 (p.ii) Endorsement Shirin M. Rai Carole Spary ‘This complete guide to women’s presence and performance in India’s Parliament is a must read for anyone interested in gender and politics. Fascinating stories and critical analysis illuminate the multiple challenges women face in every dimension of their parliamentary politics/life.’ Niraja Gopal Jayal, Professor, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India ‘India—the most populous democracy in the world—has just 64 women in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), ranking 149th worldwide in this regard. Why? This terrific new study by Shirin M. Rai and Carole Spary provides fresh insights into issues of representation and representativeness, gender and power, and the role of women in parliament—both within India and more broadly. Drawing upon qualitative and quantitative evidence, this book provides an essential contribution towards the literature on women in politics.’ Pippa Norris, Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, US Access brought to you by: Page 1 of 1 PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (oxford.universitypressscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2020. All Rights Reserved. An individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use.  Subscriber: OUP-Reference Gratis Access; date: 30 October 2020 Tables and Figures Tables I.1 Turnout in Lok Sabha Elections: 1952–2004 2 I.2 Politics and Performance Framework 21 3.1 Success Rates of Candidates Contesting Seats in Lok Sabha Elections (1980–2014), by Selected Party Categories and Combined 89 3.2 Ratio of State to National Party Candidates in Lok Sabha Elections, by Sex 96 3.3 Sole-Woman and Multi-Women Candidate Contests in Th ree Lok Sabha Elections (2004–14) 100 4.1 Presence of SC-Reserved Women MPs in 15th Lok Sabha, by Party 128 4.2 Lok Sabha Women MPs from North East since Independence 134 4.3 Educational Qualifi cations of Lok Sabha MPs from 7th–12th and 14th–16th Lok Sabhas (Percentage of Total MPs) 135 4.4 Self-Identifi ed Occupational Backgrounds of Lok Sabha MPs from the 7th to 16th Lok Sabhas (Percentage) 137 4.5 Women MPs Who Have Served Five or More Terms in the Lok Sabha 145 4.6 Women MPs Who Have Served Four or More Terms in the Rajya Sabha 146 viii Tables and Figures 4.7 Top 10 Current Women MPs Based on the Number of Twitter Followers 160 4A.1 Proportion of MPs across General and Reserved Seats in the 10th to 16th Lok Sabhas 167 5.1 Gender-Disaggregated Analysis of MP Participation in the14th Lok Sabha 173 5.2 Gender-Disaggregated Analysis of MP Participation in the 15th Lok Sabha 174 5.3 Top 10 Women MPs by Participation in Debates (14th Lok Sabha) 175 5.4 Top 10 Women MPs by Participation in Debates (15th Lok Sabha) 176 5.5 Top 10 Women MPs by Number of Questions Asked (14th Lok Sabha) 177 5.6 Participation of Women and Men in Selected Parliamentary Debates 190 6.1 Timetable of Events in the CEW’s Establishment 216 6.2 Presence of Women MPs on Financial Committees and Selected DRSCs, 13th–16th Lok Sabhas 220 6.3 Matters Considered by the CEW (13th–15th Lok Sabhas) 226 6.4 Summary of ‘Analysis of Action Taken by Government’ by the CEW 232 7.1 List of Elected Representatives Disqualifi ed after Conviction by a Court of Law 248 7.2 Women MPs: Criminal Records and Financial Assets 250 7.3 Top 10 Highest Spending States and Union Territories (2015–16) 262 7.4 Lowest Spending States and Union Territories (2015–16) 263 7.5 MPLADS Individual High Spenders (2015–16) 265 9.1 Women Incumbents Re-contesting and Re-elected: 14th to 15th Lok Sabha (2009) and 15th to 16th Lok Sabha (2014) 308 Tables and Figures ix Figures I.1 Parliament House, Taken from Raisina Road 3 I.2 Women as a Percentage of Rajya Sabha MPs (1952–2016) 10 1.1 India Gate, New Delhi 32 1.2 Bharatmata by Abanindranath Tagore 39 1.3 Outer Corridor, Indian Parliament 45 1.4 Th e Ladies’ Room in Lok Sabha 53 2.1 Women’s Groups Campaigning for the WRB, Delhi, December 2013 76 3.1a Women in Lok Sabha Elections 1957–2014 82 3.1b Women in Lok Sabha Elections 1957–2014 83 3.2 Women Candidates in Lok Sabha Elections as a Percentage of Total Candidates, by Party (INC and BJP), 1980–2014 93 3.3 Nomination of Women Candidates (Percentage of Total Party Candidates) by Selected Parties in Lok Sabha Elections since 1980 94 and 95 3.4 A TMC Candidate Campaigning in South Delhi in 2014 (top) and the Candidate’s Election Leafl et (bottom) 113 3.5 Election Campaign Resources and Publicity for a BJP Candidate in South Delhi in 2014 114 3.6 AAP Candidate Campaigning in Mumbai, 2014 115 3.7 Forecasting Growth of Women MPs in the Lok Sabha in the Absence of Quotas 120 4.1 Proportion of MPs Elected from SC-Reserved Lok Sabha Constituencies, 10th–16th Lok Sabha 126 4.2 Proportion of MPs Elected from ST-Reserved Lok Sabha Constituencies, 10th–16th Lok Sabha 129 4.3 Marital Status of Women and Men MPs in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabhas 139 4.4 Number of Children among Men and Women MPs in the 15th and 16th Lok Sabhas 140 4.5 Age Distribution of Men and Women MPs at the Start of the 15th Lok Sabha (2009) 141 x Tables and Figures 4.6 Age Distribution of Men and Women MPs at the Start of the 16th Lok Sabha (2014) 141 5.1 Box Plots Showing Participation in Debates of 14th Lok Sabha by ‘Gender’ 172 5.2 Box Plot of Gender and Debates in the 15th Lok Sabha 173 6.1 Composition of Members of the CEW, 13th to 16th Lok Sabhas 215 Abbreviations AAP Aam Aadmi Party ADR Association for Democratic Reforms AIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIDWA All India Democratic Women’s Association AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIMIM All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen AIWC All India Women’s Conference ASHA accredited social health activist BJD Biju Janata Dal BJP Bharatiya Janata Party BPSF Bengal Provincial Students Federation BPST Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training BSP Bahujan Samaj Party CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women CEW Committee for the Empowerment of Women CPI Communist Party of India CPI(M) Communist Party of India (Marxist) DMDK Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam DMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DRSC Departmentally related standing committee ECI Election Commission of India GEM Gender Empowerment Measure GOI Government of India HRD human resource development ICC Internal Complaints Committee INC Indian National Congress