Our new book, Missing from the House: Muslim Women in the Lok Sabha, delves into the lives of the 18 Muslim women MPs who surmounted the herculean challenges of patriarchy, socio-cultural conservativeness and majoritarianism to make a mark in India’s parliamentary politics. This is a holistic yet nuanced analysis of the social background, political achievements and challenges of these resilient women leaders.

Seventy-eight years after Jawaharlal Nehru’s “tryst with destiny" on 15 August 1947, India, hailed as the “Mother of Democracy," still struggles to give women equal voice. Large sections of women remain denied dignity in daily life and fair representation in the nation’s political and decision-making spaces. Since the first general elections of 1951-52, only eighteen Muslim women have ever entered the Lok Sabha—“the embodiment of the freedom and sovereignty of the people of India." Missing from the House: Muslim Women in the Lok Sabha underscores this stark reality and serves as a call to action, urging progress as the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, comes into effect.

Although the architects of modern India envisioned a democracy where agency of empowered citizens shaped political identity and collective advocacy, this ideal has not ensured equal participation or inclusive representation for some of the most marginalised citizens, particularly Muslim women. As a result, issues central to their welfare—such as the right to........

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