Join us for Vidhi’s latest Book Adda featuring a discussion on “What Women Want: Understanding the Female Voter in Modern India” by Ruhi Tewari. This discussion will be moderated by Dhvani Mehta, Co-Founder and Lead, Health, Vidhi Centre.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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. 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 her 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 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?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruhi Tewari is a Delhi-based journalist with nearly two decades of experience in tracking politics, policy and the intersection of the two across leading media houses. She has combined her extensive ground reporting with her data crunching and analytical skills to produce some of the most credible election reportage in recent years.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, 22nd January 2026
Time: 5pm – 6:30pm (high tea will be provided before the discussion)
Venue: Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, A-232, Defence Colony, New Delhi