For much of India’s democratic history, the woman voter was invisible and ignored – at times spoken for, but never listened to.That has changed. Today, women vote in greater numbers than ever before, often making independent choices that overturn conventional political wisdom. From the welfare state to identity politics, from kitchen economics to public protest, the woman voter now shapes outcomes at every level of India’s electoral landscape.

In this timely and deeply reported book, journalist Ruhi Tewari travels across states and communities to understand how Indian women vote – and why. Blending fieldwork, data and political insight, this book – the product of nearly two decades of reportage – traces the rise of the woman voter from silent participant to decisive force. It asks hard questions: Do women vote as women? Does caste or religion override gender at the ballot box? Can development trump identity? What happens when welfare schemes become the new normal and get taken for granted? Does gender itself even matter in elections?

This is a portrait of Indian democracy through a different lens – one that sees women not as passive beneficiaries of politics, but as its most ambitious stakeholders and perhaps even its kingmakers.