Women in Uttarakhand voted more than men in 2017 assembly elections, says study

Voting percentage of women in Uttarakhand especially in the hills was better than that of men in 2017, indicating that their participation in the democratic process was more enthusiastic, says a study based on the voting trends of the last assembly polls.

”In the assembly polls held in 2017, the voting percentage of men in 34 seats in nine hill districts of Uttarakhand was only 51.15 while women’s polling percentage was 65.12,” Anoop Nautiyal, who heads an organisation called SDC Foundation which conducted the study, said.

In hill districts, on an average, 28,202 women and 23,086 men exercised their franchise in each assembly seat and on an average 5,116 more women cast their votes than men in each seat, he said.

Bageshwar, Rudraprayag and Dwarahat were at the forefront in terms of the maximum number of voting by women. In Bageshwar, 9,802 more women than men exercised their franchise. In Rudraprayag, the number was 9,517 more than men and in Dwarahat, the number was 9,043, the study said.

Even in plain districts like Doiwala, Rishikesh, Kaladhungi and Khatima, women outnumbered men in casting their votes to 2,917, Nautiyal said.

”Women in Uttarakhand are said to be the backbone of the state’s economy, but this report shows they are also the backbone of democracy in the state,” he said, adding the purpose of the study was to increase voter participation and promote women empowerment.

However, Nautiyal rued the fact that despite such large participation by women in voting, major political parties have fielded few women in the elections in Uttarakhand.

He said the next government of the state should bear this in mind and keep women at the centre of its policies.

”The coming government should make plans keeping in mind the all-round development of women in the state. Apart from this, it should also find ways to involve those who are unable to vote due to livelihood compulsions and migration in the democratic process.”