Authors: Manjula R.
Abstract: This paper examines the evolution of women's participation in the electoral process in Karnataka from 2000 to 2024, focusing on the patterns of electoral participation, demography and other sociopolitical factors affecting women's electoral turnout. This study, which examines Election Commission of India data and recent voter turnout figures, reveals a remarkable shift in women's voter turnout. Karnataka has seen a significant decrease in the gender gap in voting from 9.76 percentage points in 2009 to near parity in 2024. Most significantly, the 2024-2025 electoral roll of Karnataka registers a greater number of women voters than male voters for the first time in the state's history. This paper examines institutional, social and economic factors that have enabled this shift, such as voter mobilisation, female literacy, migration and government policies. The analysis indicates that Karnataka's women's electoral participation is a mirror of national as well as state-specific factors, driven by development indicators and electoral campaigns.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20112088
