Fathimath Zowra, who worked as a community mentor for three years to strengthen the Kudumbashree network in the Manjeswaram area on the campaign trail in Udyawar North ward.
As many as 16,589 women from the Kudumbashree network are running in the local body elections this time.
They make up almost 42% of the 39,609 female candidates in the fray.
Since Kerala ensured 50% reservation for women in local bodies in 2009 through the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and the Kerala Municipalities Act to give them a greater say in the decision-making process for local development, political parties have increasingly turned to Kudumbashree to field women candidates with the best chance of winning.
Of the 16,589 Kudumbashree women participating in the polls, nearly 75% (12,347) are neighborhood group (NHG) members. The maximum number of NHG members contesting the election is from Kozhikode (1,396), followed by Thiruvananthapuram (1,321). The lowest representation of the Women Empowerment Mission was in Idukki where only 229 NHGs are in the fight.
Also ready for the fray are 227 chairmen of Kudumbashree Community Development Societies (CDS), the highest rung in the three-tiered Kudumbashree network. The highest number of chairpersons of CDS competitions are from Palakkad (26). The lowest is in Kasaragod – seven.
A total of 1,985 CDS members are also gearing up for the battle across the state. The highest number of them is in Thrissur – 634. Malappuram is second with 165 CDS members contesting from the district.
The middle rung of the Society for the Development of the Territory (ADS) is represented by 1,898 ADS members. Among them, the highest number in the fight is from Alappuzha – 348. Next is Thrissur with 267 ADS members.
The young face of Kudumbashree is reflected in the 132 members of the auxiliary who are contesting the elections. Alappuzha district has the most – 25. Malappuram is close behind with 21 members of the fighting aid group.
Among the districts, Alappuzha has the highest number of Kudumbashree women contesting local polls at 1,735. Thiruvananthapuram is next with 1,648 and Ernakulam at 1,634. Idukki has the least at 269.
As many as 34 Kudumbashree women are also in the fray in Attappady under the Attappady Special Project. Of these, 24 are NHG members, nine are ADS members and two are CDS members.
In 2020, 16,864 Kudumbashree women contested the elections, while five years before that in 2015, 15,863 contested.
Published – 28 Nov 2025 20:46 IST
