Women in Parliament: Left, Right and Centre

HER voice in politics has been muffled and unclear for centuries throughout the world. In India, interestingly, she has been louder and far more influential right from the days the nation was struggling to free itself from the clutches of a foreign power. She was not just making her presence felt in positions of leadership in the freedom struggle but was also effectively capturing moments of nationalist expressions on the streets, villages, universities and domestic spheres. The role of women in Indian politics has, for long been celebrated as one of the finest examples of the success of the long drawn feminist movement. While leaders like Sarojini Naidu and Aruna Asaf Ali shaped the nationalist movement in their own specific ways, there were others like Dakshayani Velayudhan and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur who played a decisive role in the framing of the newborn country’s constitution. While in Indira Gandhi, we saw a steely prime minister, the position of the country’s president was adorned by Pratibha Patil a few decades later. In the seventy years of independent India, we have been fortunate to witness the rise, fall and further rise of various prominent women political leaders.

About two months back, we at Indianexpress.com ran a detailed series on those women who shaped and breathed life into the Indian constitution. On occasion of women’s day, we carry forward this journey of exploring the multitude ways in which women have influenced and risen to power in the Indian political landscape through sheer determination of spirit. We photographed 12 women who are currently part of the Indian Parliament, which currently has the highest number of women Parliamentarians, albeit even that number isn't that much. But then, we also have India's first ever woman full Defence Minister leading the charge. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Ambika Soni

Ambika Soni is a member of the Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Punjab. She belongs to the Congress party and had previously served as the minister of tourism, culture and of information and broadcasting. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Bhavana Gawali

Bhavana Gawali is member of the parliament from Yavatmal-Washim constituency in Maharashtra. She is part of the Shiv-Sena and has been representing Yavatmal-Washim in the parliament since 2009. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Chhaya Verma

Chhaya Verma is a Rajya Sabha MP, representing Chhattisgarh. She is part of the Indian National Congress and is also the party’s state secretary. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Viplove Thakur

Viplove Thakur represents the state of Himachal Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. A Congress politician, Thakur boasts of a political career spanning three decades. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Geetha Kothapalli

Geetha Kothapalli began her political career in 2014 when she was elected as member of Lok Sabha from Araku in Andhra Pradesh. A first time politician, with no political lineage, Kothapalli is known to be concentrating her efforts in improving conditions in the tribal areas of the constituency she represents. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Harsimrat Kaur Badal is representing Bhatinda in the Parliament and is also part of the union cabinet as minister of food processing. A member of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Badal began her political career in the 2009 general elections. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Kanimozhi

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Kanimozhi is member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Tamil Nadu. Daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister, Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi belongs to the DMK party where she functions as its chief. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Rajani Patil

Rajini Patil is member of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. As a Congress politician, she was elected to the position in 2013. Previously, she has also been member of the Lok Sabha as part of the BJP. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Renuka Butta

Renuka Butta is representative of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh in the parliament. She was elected to the position in the 2014 general elections, which she won with a very large margin. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phule

Savitri Bai Phule is a member the Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh, representing Balha in Bahraich district. She is part of the BJP and is known to be vocal on matters of caste and women empowerment. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Vandana Chavan

A politician from Maharashtra, Vandana Chavan was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2012 as a member of the National Congress Party. Previously she has also served as mayor of Pune. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Nirmala Sitharaman

The first ever woman defence minister of India, Sitharaman’s rise to one of the highest ranks of Indian politics has been momentous for India’s political history. An expert on Economics, Sitharaman has previously served as the country’s commerce secretary. She also served as the spokesperson of the BJP for four years from 2010. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)