Sharp rise in women Maoists killed in operations in Chhattisgarh since 2024

• Since 2024, over one-third of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh during security operations have been women.

• In 2024: Out of 217 Maoists killed, 74 were women.

• In 2025 (till June 20): 195 Maoists killed, 82 were women.

This marks a sharp rise compared to earlier years, when women constituted a much smaller percentage of casualties. For instance:

• In 2023, only 5 out of 20 killed were women.

• In 2020, 7 out of 40 killed were women.

• This upward trend reflects both an intensification of anti-Maoist operations and a greater presence of women in Maoist ranks.

• The spike in operations and Maoist casualties comes after a Union Home Ministry directive to eliminate Maoist influence by March 2026.

• The government has scaled up security operations, especially in Maoist strongholds like Bastar (Chhattisgarh).

• As a result, there has been a higher engagement with armed cadres, including women, in forested regions.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs:

• Maoist groups form "Bal Dastas", which are children’s units, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

• Poor Adivasi families, often under threat or coercion, are pressured into sending their girl children to join these groups.

• Once recruited, girls are indoctrinated into Maoist ideology and trained for combat roles.

• This practice results in a high number of young women and girls present among the Maoist cadres, making them more likely to be involved — and killed — in encounters with security forces.

• Police and security officials note that:

• Women cadres are frequently used as foot soldiers and placed in frontline roles.

• They are also used as human shields, increasing their exposure to violence during security encounters.

• Despite claims by Maoists of fighting patriarchy, very few women hold leadership positions within the organisation.

• This reflects a gendered contradiction in Maoist structures — while women are heavily used in conflict, they are marginalised in decision-making.