 For complex cultural reasons, women in the villages have rarely played a role in public life. This however is changing, with the enactment of a legislation that requires greater participation of women in village governance. This attempt to improve participation of women in public affairs is neither new nor limited to rural India. Women in all strata of society have enjoyed voting rights since independence over 50 years ago. There is also a proposed move to reserve one-third of all seats in parliament for women. And while such debates take place at the highest level, a quiet revolution is taking place within India's villages. Involving women in village governance is important for a variety of reasons. Not involving them, of course, means that half the intellectual, managerial and other talents in the community remain unutilized, but there are other benefits as well. Panchayats headed by women represent a dramatic break from the existing political orthodoxy. While men have challenged other men for positions of power, there have been few challenges to existing styles of functioning. As a result, the village administration has tended to limp along. Now women have brought new ideas, energy, enthusiasm and a fresh approach to dealing with problems endemic to rural India. Within male-dominated societies, it is rarely easy for women to carry out their administrative duties. Yet, their presence at the helm of affairs has resulted in the implementation of innovative development projects. In the process, a quiet revolution is taking place, one that has the potential to tap the dynamism and energy of the Indian woman. Being a woman, Sarpanj in most villages, is not an easy job. It becomes even more difficult if you're a lowly paid farm laborer like Radha. Yet, as numerous examples from around the country show, women's Sarpanjas are increasingly common. Soon becoming Sarpanja Viswa village, Mutti Devi turned her attention towards better water management. Three large ponds were dug on the village common lands. These serve as storage areas for the excess rain that falls during the monsoons. Mutti Devi's perseverance has also improved access to drinking water, formerly obtained from the village well. After seeing a problem with maintaining diesel operated pumps, Mutti Devi initiated the use of solar power. From the heat of Haryana to the mist of the Himalayas, Dhaneshwari Devi is the Sarpanj of Kajalod Panchayat in the picturesque Dharamshala region of Himachal Pradesh. She's been in public life for the past ten years and has served as the president of the Mahila Mandal or women's association of her village since 1988. Dhaneshwari Devi learnt early that education can be a means towards meeting many objectives. As part of a government literacy program, she regularly picks up booklets from the block office to distribute among women in the village. A high priority for Dhaneshwari Devi is creating the conditions by which women can become financially independent. Towards this goal, she has introduced a variety of schemes to increase the skill base among women in the village. Many of these women are special, the kind of people who work to improve society wherever they live. The government legislation has simply helped to propel some of them into positions of authority, ensuring an even more effective utilization of their talents. There are hundreds, thousands of such women in rural India working quietly and forcefully.