India

Given the rigid social structure, it is likely that women have little political agency in this State.

In a State where 53 per cent of women think that it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife, how much political agency does a woman have in Bihar?

Congress’ lone female MP in Chhattisgarh, Jyotsna Mahant’s entry in politics is a result of nepotism. It’s the same as how several women who belong to political parties enter politics, but what is unique about her is that she has already been working in social work for close to four decades now.

Urmila Singh has been helping women in Bihar nurture their political ambitions for over two decades now.

Coming from one of the most backward villages in the country, Sandhya Ray found the support in her progressive in-laws. They didn’t just support her with her studies but also motivated her to join politics.

Diya Kumari is an Indian politician who was elected as the Member of Parliament from Rajsamand constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as a MLA from Sawai Madhopur for the term 2013-18.

BJP’s Annapurna Devi became the Member of Parliament from Kodarma in Jharkhand in 2019 Lok Sabha election.

By Rami Chhabra,

By Pavit Kaur

India has hardly ever seen a purely women-driven movement where women have been the pioneers of a development and have stood up for a cause all by themselves.