Only 7.15% Online RTI Applications Filed By Women In 8 Years: Right To Information Request Reveals

More than 1.59 lakh applications filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the last eight years, Out of these, only 11,376 were filed by women and the rest by men, according to the Ministry Of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.

Replying to an RTI query, the ministry said a total of 1,59,107 applications were filed under the Act between April 22, 2013 and November 12, 2021.

Of the applicants, 11,376 (slightly over seven per cent of the total number) were women and 1,47,731 men, it said.

Commodore (retd) Lokesh K Batra had sought the gender-wise details from the personnel ministry on the total number of RTI applications filed through a dedicated website.

The portal -- www.rtionline.gov.in -- allows online filing of RTI applications. There is a provision for the applicants to mention their gender -- male, female and the third gender -- while raising RTI queries through the website.

In response to the application, the ministry said as many as 15,986 applications (1,507 by women and 14,479 by men) were filed in 2021 (till November 12), 20,792 (1,968 by women and 18,824 by men) in 2020 and 20,762 (1,612 women and 19,150 men) in 2019.

A total of 19,709 RTI queries (1,433 women and 18,276 men) were raised in 2018, 18,869 (1,219 women and 17,650 men) in 2017, 17,800 (885 women and 16,915 men) in 2016, 16,210 (981 women and 15,229 men) in 2015 and 16,626 (1,049 women and 15,577 men) in 2014, it said.

As many as 12,353 RTI applications were filed in 2013 (from April 22 onwards -- the date of the launch of the portal). Of the applicants, 722 were women and 11,631 were men, the reply said.

"The data shows that there is a need for creating larger awareness among females about their right to know," Batra said.

(With PTI Inputs)