Caste and gender influence the access to power and opportunities separately, but their interaction causes the stratified disadvantages not possible to be described in the one axis approach. Women who reside in discriminated caste groups, both Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), are likely to experience multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination that grossly limit their access to
participation in political processes. At the structural level, caste hierarchies are subject to patriarchal structures in order to produce an additional marginalization. The disadvantages of the lower caste women are not just gender-oriented, but also caste-oriented as they are also kept out of the system. This dual marginalization affects their education, employment, social
mobility and political participation. In case, the example is that reduced education level and financial insecurity serve to reduce their potential in effective political participation or contested elections.

Caste and gender in the political representation in India portray the permeation of social hierarchies that have firmly taken root in democratic institutions. Although affirmative action and reservation policies have led to a dramatic enhancement in the numerical inclusion, they have not succeeded in achieving substantive representation and real empowerment of the marginalized groups. The discussion has shown that formal institutional structures only have a role to play in shaping political participation, but structural inequalities, socio-cultural norms, and power relations also restrict the exercise of agency and influence. The intersectional approach points out that the barriers faced by women of marginalized castes are doubled, and new and more inclusive policy methods are necessary. The enhancement of democratic governance, therefore, is more of moving beyond the symbolic embodiment of democracy to the real participation of voice, autonomy, and power to make decisions are division of labor. The key point is that to attain fair political representation, there should be uninterrupted institutional change, social change, and adherence to justice, inclusion, and democratic accountability.

(The writer is a PhD scholar. He can be contacted at aditya72910@gmail.com. This article is an abridged version of the research paper titled Visualizing the relationship between caste, gender, and political representation in India;  DOI:https://doi.org/10.29070/g6xy7s22).