Women count: Voter gender ratio sees promising rise in Shillai and Bharmour

In a commendable step towards electoral inclusivity, the State Election Department’s special drive to bridge the gender gap in voter registration has yielded encouraging results in the Shillai and Bharmour Assembly segments of Himachal Pradesh.

The campaign, launched in June 2025, focused on Shillai in Sirmaur district—previously the state’s lowest with a female voter gender ratio of 820—and Bharmour in Chamba, which stood at 930. Within just 45 days, Shillai’s ratio improved to 831 and Bharmour’s rose to 949, marking significant progress in a short span.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nandita Gupta shared that Himachal Pradesh’s overall voter gender ratio stands at 981, with all other constituencies reporting ratios above 900. Shillai and Bharmour, however, required targeted efforts to bring them closer to the state average.

To address this, District Election Officers (Deputy Commissioners) and Electoral Registration Officers (SDMs) were instructed to cross-check electoral rolls against family registers maintained by panchayat secretaries. This exercise helped identify eligible but unregistered women voters. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) then carried out door-to-door verifications, including contacting women temporarily residing outside the constituency for education or employment. Such voters were guided to submit Form-6 online for enrolment.