India, Nov. 27 -- The recent Bihar election will be remembered for the quiet, firm resolve of the state's women voters - Bihar recorded its highest-ever turnout since 1951, at around 66.9%; 71.6% of eligible women cast their vote, compared with 62.8% of men. Women's choices are reshaping the nation's political landscape, and Bihar is a powerful witness to that. However, almost immediately, a familiar narrative surfaced: Women "voted for money", attracted by cash transfers and welfare schemes. It is both factually shallow and deeply disrespectful. Bihar's women endorsed a model of governance that finally sees them, puts their name on bank accounts, gas connections, house-ownership documents - and, by extension, in the decision-making.

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