Kathmandu, Nov. 22 -- "Make no mistake patriarchy in India has not been smashed. The deeply entrenched gender biases in our socio-political milieu continue with tragic brazenness," writes Indian journalist Ruhi Tewari in her debut book 'What Women Want: Understanding the Female Voters in Modern India'. She continues, "Yet there is one aspect in which women now find themselves on a pedestal, surpassing even men in importance: voting."

In her almost 20 years of covering the Indian political landscape for publications such as The Indian Express and The Print, Ruhi Tewari travelled across the country and interviewed many people. When trying to make sure that the voices of all stakeholders were adequately represented, she remembers that "find...