More women in the fray, but Tamil Nadu polls remain overwhelmingly male

The rise in the number of women contesting Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu over the past five decades signals a gradual widening of political participation. However, data show that the gains remain modest when set against the scale of male dominance in the electoral field.

From just 11 women candidates in 1967, accounting for 1.41% of the total, the number has risen to 443 in 2026, which makes up 11.01% of the candidates. The increase is notable in absolute terms, particularly in recent years, but proportionally, women continue to occupy only a small share of the candidate pool.