Opinion | Political Empowerment of Kashmiri Women: A Changing Political Space

The political participation of Kashmiri women has never been a simple story of women entering politics. It is connected with Kashmir’s history, its social structure, years of unrest, shifting ideas about women’s role in public life and, in recent years, the growing presence of women in electoral and grassroots politics. The political engagement of Kashmiri women has deep roots in the region’s history. Long before modern electoral politics, Kashmir had women such as Queen Didda and Kota Rani who exercised political authority. Their stories show that women’s leadership is not new to Kashmir, although political participation of women as a wider social group developed much later.

In the early twentieth century, Kashmiri women began challenging traditional boundaries through education and social reform. Begum Zaffar Ali, the first female matriculate of Kashmir, was among the early pioneers who advocated girls’ education and women’s upliftment. Later, Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah contributed to public life through parliamentary service and grassroots work. These early efforts reflected a growing political consciousness among women and helped create space for their participation in public life.

Recent years have seen progressive policy changes, catalysed by legislative reforms, central government interventions and active civil society engagement. After the constitutional changes of 2019, several central laws were extended to Jammu and Kashmir, including laws relating to women’s protection and rights. This brought the Union Territory under a wider framework of central legislation concerning women. Reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions promoted political representation and leadership among women, allowing meaningful participation at grassroots levels. Initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojana, Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Scheme and Women’s Police Stations addressed education, economic independence, safety and justice.

Political participation does not always begin with contesting an election. Education, social reform and community work can also create political awareness. For women who were traditionally expected to remain within the private sphere, entering public life itself was a change.

At the same time, patriarchal expectations and social conservatism continued to influence women’s mobility, choices and participation. Women interested in public and political activity had to negotiate family expectations as well as an uncertain public environment. Kashmiri women have also faced security concerns, limited institutional support, economic dependence and social attitudes that have affected their political participation. Yet women did not disappear from the public sphere.

Over the years, women began entering electoral politics, activism and local governance. Their participation has become more visible in political parties, public institutions, grassroots movements and democratic processes. Women have also contributed to public discussions on social issues, civil rights, governance and the concerns of their communities. This growing presence has gradually challenged the older perception that political leadership and public decision-making are primarily a man’s domain.

The most noticeable change has been at the grassroots. The Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj framework provides for one-third of directly elected Panchayat seats to be reserved for women. This provision was incorporated through the 2014 amendment and became applicable to subsequent Panchayat elections.

The expansion of grassroots politics also gave women opportunities at the block and district levels. Women have participated as Panchs and Sarpanchs and have also entered the Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Development Councils (DDCs). The DDC elections held in 2020 introduced a directly elected district-level tier of governance in Jammu and Kashmir, with one-third of directly elected DDC seats reserved for women. This created a wider space for women to participate in development planning and local decision-making beyond the village level.

The numbers show the scale of this participation. Government data recorded 13,224 elected women representatives among 39,850 Panchayati Raj representatives in Jammu and Kashmir. This means that thousands of women have had an opportunity to enter local institutions and deal with matters of governance that directly affect their communities.

For many of them, this may have been their first experience of formal public leadership. The change is also visible at the Assembly level. In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, 41 women contested, compared with 24 in 2014. Three women, Sakina Itoo, Shamima Firdous and Shagun Parihar, were elected to the 90-member Assembly. The number remains small, but the increase in women candidates shows that political participation is gradually becoming a more familiar possibility.

Political empowerment is not only about the number of women sitting in elected institutions. It is also about political consciousness. A woman who understands how a Panchayat works, knows her rights, questions an official, or speaks about a public issue is participating in political life.

This is where education and economic independence become important. A woman dependent on others for information, money or even permission to enter public spaces may find it difficult to use political opportunities fully. Training, mentorship and access to information can help women move from simply occupying a position to taking an active role in decision-making. Lack of campaign resources, mentorship and institutional support also remain among the continuing barriers to women’s political participation.

In contemporary times, the younger generation has another advantage: digital platforms. A Kashmiri woman today can write, discuss public issues, take part in awareness campaigns and express political views without necessarily holding a formal political position. Social media has therefore added another space for political discussion and public engagement.

The political empowerment of Kashmiri women is a gradual process. It has moved through different stages, from historical women exercising authority, to women entering education and social reform, to political leaders and activists, and now to a growing number of women participating in grassroots and electoral institutions.

The political journey of Kashmiri women is still incomplete. There are still gaps in representation, and patriarchal attitudes, social conservatism, security concerns and economic limitations have not disappeared. But the picture is not the same as it was. A woman entering a Panchayat office, contesting an election or speaking about a public issue is changing an old perception about where women belong.

The future of political empowerment in Kashmir will depend on whether these opportunities continue to widen and whether women are given the knowledge and institutional support to use them. The goal is not simply more women in politics, but more women who can participate in politics with awareness, independence and a voice of their own.

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