Though the majority of essays examine the women's movement under a microscope in relation to a specific historical and social context, the authors bring such micro, or often very personal movents, up to much larger frameworks, to local, national, transnational and historical levels, thereby making theiry arguments richer and more interesting.  This is one book that will hold readers' interest because of the wide range of interesting research topics and approaches.

… an excellent introduction to the subject written in a lively and interesting manner, accessible to a general as well as an academic readership. I would strongly recommend Gender politics in Asia as a key text for anyone interested in and/or studying gender roles in Asia.

 The book has been of immense relevance to me in my teaching and research. Gender politics in Asia has gone beyond the question of women’s participation in politics to probe deeply the manner in which Asian women subtly and yet quite effectively manoeuvre their way in male dominated societies. What is interesting and of significance is the way the essays bring out the use of traditional gender roles to grant agency in the political sphere. This is a theme I have been pursuing in my ongoing research too and find my points vindicated by the essays in the book. What was immediately appealing to me is the way the essays in the book foreground the diverse cultural contexts within which women negotiate. The editors resist the temptation to find and highlight Asian patterns choosing wisely instead to present the great variety of contexts within which women have been able to effectively strategise and influence power.

A recently added post graduate course that I have introduced in my department touches upon the question of indigenous feminisms, while another M.Phil course on Gender and Development I introduced about five years ago, includes the question of women’s participation in politics. I find the book especially relevant to these sections of the courses and also in my overall project of visibilising Asian feminisms. I heartily recommend the book to everybody researching gender questions in Asia and complement the editors for their insightful handling of the theme.