Recently the upper house of India's Parliament agreed on something rather contentious — a quota system for women in government. According to the bill, a third of the Parliament seats will be reserved for women. The bill has moved to the lower house, but support there seems likely.

The need for such a ruling might seem strange in a country that has boasted such prominent women leaders as Indira and Sonia Gandhi. But in India’s patriarchal society, most women in power have had connections to powerful men.

For more than 17 years, however, a third of the government seats in India's rural villages have been reserved for women. Mian Ridge is a reporter based in Delhi, and she discussed the news with host Peggy Wehmeyer.

Music for this show ...