The book explores the experiences, impact and responses of women in village panchayats in India after a Constitutional Amendment in 1992 made it mandatory to reserve one-third positions for women. Based on extensive field research with interviews of 1,200 panchayat representatives and community members in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (states usually seen as low on social and gender indicators), the book documents awareness, motivation, perceptions, and participation levels of women elected in the first election following the Amendment, with a follow-up survey of the same...