India, April 16 -- It was June 1975. Women political leaders, parliamentarians, activists, and NGOs came together in Mexico City at the First UN Conference for Women to demand their place on the decision-making "high tables" of their countries. Their voices were loud and clear: "We cannot be kept out."

It was my first exposure to a world forum of this magnitude. I was 33 years old - young and full of ideas. I participated in discussions, spoke out on changing the status of women and supported the demand for quotas in political representation to ensure their entry into the political mainstream. I heard, I was convinced, and I became part of the International Women's Movement for change. The plan of action adopted at the end of this confer...