Women’s Political Representation Had Been Minimal in this State

Newsreel Asia Insight #267
June 30, 2024

The people of Nagaland have elected 102 women to its civic bodies, marking a significant milestone in gender representation in local governance. The Urban Local Body (ULB) elections of 2024 saw an enthusiastic participation from female candidates, with women claiming over 37% of the available seats in the polls held on June 26.

State Election Commissioner, T. John Longkumer, remarked on the successful conclusion of the polls, stating, “Naga women, this was your election. Congratulations!” as reported by Nagaland Tribune.

The election was the first since 2004 and implemented a 33% reservation for women, a decision following decades of litigation over quotas for women and issues surrounding property taxation.

Rosemary Dzüvichu, a prominent women’s rights activist, acknowledged the Supreme Court’s crucial role in enabling this election with a quota for women. She praised the efforts of the People’s Union of Civil Liberties, which had filed a public interest litigation in the apex court on this issue.

Significantly, eight women won from unreserved seats, breaking traditional barriers in the state’s political landscape. Among the notable winners was 22-year-old Nzanrhoni I Mozhui, a Bharatiya Janata Party nominee from Bhandari town council under Wokha district, Hindustan Times reported.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party secured the highest number of seats, followed by independents and other party representatives.

The voter turnout reached 81% of more than 223,000 eligible voters.

At least 23 female candidates had withdrawn from the eastern region due to a poll boycott call by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), which is calling for a separate state arguing that the eastern part of Nagaland has been consistently marginalised in terms of development and political attention. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, six districts in Eastern Nagaland had zero voter turnout.

The electoral victory of the women stands in contrast to the traditionally patriarchal structures of Nagaland’s society, where political representation for women has been minimal. It wasn’t until 2018 that Nagaland elected its first female legislator since statehood in 1963.

Despite not being a matrilineal society like neighbouring Meghalaya, Nagaland has seen women taking active roles in the local economy and public spaces.

Religion plays a significant role in Naga society, which has influenced its social structures and norms. The Christian emphasis on equality has at times been seen as a moderating influence on traditional gender roles.

While some aspects may seem less patriarchal, Nagaland still conforms to a patriarchal structure in many other traditional social and political arenas. Tribal councils and village decision-making bodies, for example, are often male-dominated, and there are significant barriers to women’s political leadership.