Elections are a continuous phenomenon in India. In just the last 10 years, we have seen significant electoral activity, substantial financial expenditure, and participation from an array of political parties and candidates. There has also been an increasing number of women voters, which plausibly hints at the changing nature of political communication and the feminisation and professionalisation of campaign practices. Despite these changes, sloganeering, which remains central to election campaigns and is seen as an effective means of voter mobilisation, is embedded in gendered stereotypes. Slogans often normalise violence and reduce women to being passive beneficiaries rather than as active agents in the electoral landscape.
How communication grew
The evolution of voter mobilisation in India has transformed from grassroots efforts in the 1950s and ‘60s to sophisticated digital campaigns by the 2020s. Initially, direct voter contact through rallies, door-to-door canvassing, and print media dominated campaigning, with local party workers playing a crucial role. By the 1970s, slogan-driven campaigns assumed centrality, exemplified by Indira Gandhi’s ‘Garibi Hatao (Remove poverty)’. In the 1980s, television and radio were introduced. These revolutionised outreach even as parties continued to use traditional methods of campaigning. Liberalisation in the 1990s and digital expansion in the 2000s led to Internet-based political messaging, which was further amplified by smartphones and social media. By the 2020s, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and data-driven strategies defined political campaigns, with real-time voter engagement and war rooms shaping electoral battles.
Despite evolving methods, slogans have remained pivotal in influencing public sentiment, from ‘Bijli, Sadak, Pani (electricity, roads, water)’, to ‘India Shining’ to ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga (neither will I indulge in corruption, nor will I allow anyone else to indulge in it)’ to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (together, for everyone’s growth)’. By encapsulating ideologies, promises, and emotions in a catchphrase, slogans create political identities, mobilise voters, influence electoral outcomes, and shape public opinion. However, these slogans have mostly reflected male-centric leadership and governance narratives. Women’s issues are often selectively addressed rather than being integral to campaign rhetoric. Slogans often reinforce traditional power structures and selectively engage with women’s concerns.
Sexist undertones
The phrase “Ghar ki Lakshmi (goddess of the household)” reinforces the primary role of women as home-makers rather than as political actors; “Mahilaon Ke Vikas Ke liye Vote Do (vote for women’s development)” highlights how political parties frame women as beneficiaries rather than as active decision-makers; “Shakti Ka Pratik, Ma Ka Roop (symbol of power, form of a mother)” reinforces the description of women leaders in maternal metaphors; “Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon (I am a girl, I can fight)” gives into the gendered stereotype of women having to prove their ability to compete in politics; “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, educate the girl child)” implies that daughters need saving rather than systemic social changes; and “Mahilaon Ki Sarkar, Surakasha Aur Samman (a government for women, ensuring safety and respect)” is a reiteration of how women’s political agency is reduced to victimhood.
In a 2014 election rally, a politician said, “Ladke, ladke hain, galti ho jati hai (Boys are boys, mistakes happen)”. This not only trivialised sexual assault of women, but also reinforced the patriarchal role of what men are allowed to do and what women have to endure. Saying “Beti ki izzat se vote ki izzat bari hoti hai (the respect of a vote is more than that of a daughter)” reduces the dignity of women. A politician said earlier this year said that his party would make roads as smooth as a particular female politician’s cheeks. Comparing women’s bodies to infrastructure carries obvious sexist undertones.
Smear campaigns
In addition to this portrayal of women voters as passive victims, there are also often smear campaigns against women leaders, questioning and assassinating their characters. Women leaders in India are continually assessed. They receive comments on their appearance, lifestyle choices, mannerisms, attire, and marital status, which reiterate and reaffirm the belief that women in politics must essentially conform to traditional social expectations. Despite their political philosophies and achievements, women leaders in India continue to be reduced to their gender, which overshadows their leadership, capabilities, and governance abilities.
A meaningful transformation requires that slogans not only be backed by systemic changes, but also that they disrupt and dismantle traditional ways of thinking about women’s roles and possibilities. In Indian elections, there are rapid strides being made in the forms of communication. Electoral slogans can therefore go a long way in bringing about structural changes. We need to re-imagine slogans so that they are not weaponised to discredit women, do not reinforce patriarchal norms, do not trivialise gender-based violence, and portray women as active decision-makers spearheading change rather than as passive beneficiaries of schemes.
Khushboo Srivastava, assistant professor, Centre for Electoral Management Studies, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Published – March 25, 2025 01:43 am IST
