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From social reform to political power: tracing women’s participation in India through Ramabai and Shinde’s lens

Author Affiliations

  • 1Amity Institute of Social Science, Amity University, UP, Noida, India

Int. Res. J. Social Sci., Volume 15, Issue (2), Pages 28-37, April,14 (2026)

Abstract

In this research paper, the historical and modern experience of women in politics in India has been discussed starting with the social reform era that started in the nineteenth century up to the democratic system that is currently present. The major research question of the paper is to discuss the impact of early reformers such as Pandita Ramabai and Tarabai Shinde on the destabilization of patriarchal systems and the way their thoughts led to the gradual increase in women political rights. Despite the current high turnout of women in India as voters and in local governments, a discrepancy is visible as women are represented in the numbers but not actually exercising their influence in the decision-making process. The study uses descriptive and qualitative approach. It relies primarily on secondary sources, such as government documents, academic books, research papers, historical writings, and documents of the constitution. The theoretical interpretation and historical studies connect the study between the ideas of reformist feminism and the present political reality in India. The key findings of the study indicate that social movements of reform played a significant role in shaping the political consciousness and awareness of women. Even so, the real empowerment is undermined by the institutional barriers such as patriarchy, socioeconomic disparity, and a limited access to political resources. The contribution of this work is that it highlights the necessity to transform formal representation into substantive political power and relates the ideas of early feminism with the modern-day political participation.

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