However, this idea has certain limitations:

♤ The phenomenon has been observed in only a few states and any wide spread study is lacking.

♤ Many, observers argue that the lack of attention to women is due to a lack of women as a consolidated voting bloc. Their interests stand to be a function of their socio-economic class, race, religion, ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics of age and location rather than gender alone.

♤ The arguments about the ‘female vote bank’ as an important consideration in the calculation of political parties and leaders are also not reflected in the number of female candidates proportionate to their population.

♤ The lack of reservation for Women in Parliament and State assemblies also weaken the argument.

On the positive, the governments across the country irrespective of ruling political parties have initiated policies and schemes for the welfare of females. These include maternity benefit programmes, nutrition and education of girl child and reservation for women in local government. These have been influenced by a wider activism and participation of women rather than being a direct outcome of the ‘female vote bank’ considerations.

The ‘female vote bank’ is only a reflection of a wide range of tactics being adopted by women to make their voices heard and their issues addressed. The concept of ‘vote bank’, tied to a particular party and community, might not be conducive for advancing the cause of the females in the long term. Rather, the empowerment of women and their full participation in all walks of life as citizens is a far more powerful idea.