The Indian electoral system has been inclusive in many ways, but the representation of women in legislatures remains unsatisfactory at only about 12 per cent. Several measures can be suggested to improve this situation.

First, there should be a special provision to ensure that at least one-third women are elected to the Parliament and State Assemblies. This demand for reserving seats for women has been articulated for many years given the fact that very few women are elected to representative bodies.

Second, reservation of seats for women has already been successfully provided for rural and urban local bodies. Extending this provision to Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas through the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act, 2023) is a significant step in this direction.

Third, there should be a law to regulate the functioning of political parties and to ensure that they function in a transparent and democratic manner. This would encourage parties to give more tickets to women candidates.

Finally, stricter provisions to control the role of money in electoral politics and barring candidates with criminal cases from contesting elections would create a more level playing field for all candidates, including women.