Thu Dec 18 11:59:16 UTC 2025: ## Kudumbashree Women Achieve Major Gains in Kerala Local Elections
Thiruvananthapuram, India – December 18, 2025 – Over 7,200 women affiliated with the Kudumbashree poverty eradication and women’s empowerment network have won seats in Kerala’s recent local body elections, marking a significant success for the organization. This impressive victory represents a 42% success rate for the 17,082 Kudumbashree members who contested the elections.
The results reaffirm Kudumbashree’s role as a vital source of strong political candidates, with political parties often selecting from the network’s extensive pool. The 2025 results show a clear increase from the 7,058 Kudumbashree women elected in 2020.
Kozhikode district saw the highest number of victorious Kudumbashree candidates with 709, followed closely by Malappuram with 697. Alappuzha, Kannur, Palakkad, and Thrissur also saw significant representation, each sending over 600 Kudumbashree women to local bodies. Pathanamthitta and Wayanad recorded the lowest numbers of successful candidates with 272 and 276 respectively.
The majority of victors come from Kudumbashree’s neighbourhood groups (NHGs), with 5,436 members winning seats. Other successful candidates included Community Development Society (CDS) chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, CDS members, and Area Development Society (ADS) executive members. Notably, 107 auxiliary group members, representing younger women within the organization, also secured victories.
Most of the victorious Kudumbashree women have been elected to grama panchayats (5,836), with 487 elected to block panchayats, 88 to district panchayats, 757 to municipalities, and 45 to Corporations.
The Attappady Special Project, which focuses on the unique needs of the Attappady region, also saw success, with 13 of its 35 Kudumbashree women candidates winning seats.
While the success rate is lower than the 52% achieved in the 2015 elections, the sheer number of Kudumbashree women elected underscores the organization’s continued influence and impact on local governance in Kerala.
First Piper 