For decades, women in Sikkim have been visible in rallies, grassroots movements, and party work for very long, but largely missing where it matters most: the Legislative Assembly. That imbalance may soon be forced to change.
In the before 2024 Sikkim Assembly, women’s representation remained minimal, with only a handful of women MLAs (around 2–3) in a 32-member House. The numbers tell a clear story—political space has long been dominated by men, despite women forming a crucial part of the electorate and party machinery.
Now, with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in place, the equation is set to shift dramatically. The law mandates 33% reservation for women in both Lok Sabha & State Assembly, which could push Sikkim to 10–11 women MLAs once implemented—nearly a fourfold jump from current levels.
With reservation becoming inevitable after delimitation, parties will be compelled to rethink strategies, promote women candidates, and invest in leadership beyond tokenism. The coming political cycle could witness a new class of women leaders stepping forward—not as substitutes, but as contenders.
In over two decades, only two women have ever reached the Deputy Speaker’s chair in Sikkim—and none have ever been Speaker.
Women play a decisive role in Sikkim politics. Take Kala Rai, for example—rising from the grassroots after years of struggle, she is now an MLA and a leading force behind Nari Shakti in her party.
From Sushma Swaraj to Nirmala Sitharaman, Mamata Banerjee to Rekha Gupta, and Mayawati—each of them struggled for years before rising to positions of power and going on to lead from the state to the national level.
Women’s political representation has indeed come a long way since the turn of the century.
7 women ministers in the Union Council of Ministers NDA (Modi 3.0 government That’s roughly ~10% representation. If the spirit of 33% reservation reflects in governance, India could see over 20 women ministers by 2029—compared to just 7 today.
Sikkim CM PS Golay has welcomed and backed the bill, calling it a bold and historic step.
On April 17, Deputy Speaker Raj Kumari Thapa, along with MLAs Kala Rai and Pamin Lepcha, accompanied by women representatives from across Sikkim, announced a major women-led rally scheduled to be held in the state capital.
The rally aims to celebrate and express gratitude for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The legislation was passed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They termed the Act a landmark step towards strengthening women’s participation in governance and decision-making, marking a new phase of gender equality and empowerment in the country.
(Written by Roshni Sharma Bhattarai, Editor, The Sikkim Today)
