India, April 16 -- Over 35 million women constitute nearly half of Bihar's electorate. More than 1.4 lakh women currently hold office in panchayats, enabled by the state's pioneering 50% reservation in local bodies. Bihar set a national precedent in 2016 by reserving 35% of government jobs for women, significantly increasing female representation across classrooms, police stations, and district administrations. The Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana has facilitated mobility and access for over 9 million schoolgirls since 2007 - transforming aspiration into momentum.

But Bihar's women are far from passive beneficiaries. They are the architects of the state's daily functionality: the Jeevika didis running microcredit ecosystems, the Anganwad...