Courtesy: Narendra Modi/Wikimedia Commons
Fewer than 10% of the candidates in the ongoing elections in India are women. A law to reserve seats for women in Parliament, which will increase this number, is in abeyance. Our next government can take lessons from Latin America, where 16 countries have successfully implemented reservations and other enabling measures
Courtesy: Al Jazeera English/Flickr
The women of a federation of self-help groups in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, won elections to their village governance bodies in February 2012. Their success is an example of what can be achieved when ordinary citizens participate in the political process, and their story will eventually resonate throughout India.