<p>In the 19th-century Pandita Ramabai travelled America delivering lectures on how the caste system and patriarchy shaped the trajectory of women’s lives. When she came back to her home India, the feminist explained America's customs around gender and race relations, and their experiment with democracy. <em>IDEAS </em>explores her rich life and legacy.<em> *This episode originally aired on Sept. 10, 2025.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Guests in this episode:</p><p><br></p><p>Radha Vatsal is the author of <em>No. 10 Doyers Street</em> (March 2025), as well as the author of the <em>Kitty Weeks </em>mystery novels. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, she earned her Ph.D. in Film History from Duke University and has worked as a film curator, political speechwriter, and freelance journalist.</p><p><br></p><p>Tarini Bhamburkar is a research affiliate at the University of Bristol. Her research explores cross-racial networks and international connections built by British and Indian women's feminist...