Women movement
Introduction
" The women's movement in India began as a social reform movement in
the 19th century.
"During the colonialperiod, women's movements in India were born
out of the same historical circumstances and social milieu as the
earlier 19th century social reform movements, which provoked a new
thinking about various social institutions, practices and social reform
legislations.
Background
" The advent of the Europeans into lIndia did not change the situation of
Women.
" Like other Western powers, the primary objective of the British in the
earlier days was trade.
" The introduction of English education first started to train Indians for
jobs under British administration. This created upper class elites who
began to doubt the rationale of many of the existing practices in their
society
" The establishment and expansion of the British rule also encouraged
British missionaries to enter their colonies and start schools,
orphanages and destitute homes especially for widows.
oThey stood against sati, child marriage, purdah and polygamy.
o The new Indian elite exposed to European liberalism of the 18rh
century, through VWestern education, felt the urgency for reform of
their own society.
" These resulted in women movements, which produced tangible results
in the subsequent periods.
Women Movementin Colonial Period
" The women's movements in the colonial period are mainly of two
different concerns:
1. Social reform movements
2.Nationalist movements
1. Social Reform Movement
" The colonial intervention in the 19th century intruded into the areas
of our culture and society and this affected transformation in our
social fabric.
Women Movement in Colonial Period
" The women's movements in the colonial period are mainly of two
different concerns:
1. Social reform movements
2. Nationalist movements
1. Social Reform Movement
"The colonial intervention in the 19th century intruded into the areas
of our culture and society and this affected transformation in our
social fabric.
" This potential threat was sensed by the Indian intellectual reformers,
exposed to western ideas and values.
" At this juncture, the Indian intellectual reformer sensitive to the
power of colonial domination and responding to Western ideas of
rationalism and liberalism sought ways and means of resisting this
colonial hegemony.
This cultural defense resulted in a paradoxical situation.
o Spurred by new European ideas of rationalism and progress, the
reformers tried to create a new society, modern yet rooted in Indian
tradition.
" They began a critical appraisal of Indian society in an attempt to
create a new ethos devoid of allovert social aberrations like
polytheism, polygamy, casteism, sati, child marriage, illiteracy etc. all
of which they believed were impediments to progress of women.
" Also, Women were seen as passive recipients of a more humanitarian
treatment to be given by Westerneducated elite men. There was thus
an attempt to reform women rather than reform the socialconditions
which opposed them.
Issue/Causes
that led to
Women
Details and Developments
Movement
" Roy's attention was drawn towards the inhuman
practice of sati
"From 1818 onwards he began his active
propaganda through speeches and writings
against sati.
" Largely because of his effort and persuasion,
the East India Company declared the sati
Raja Ram Mohan practice illegal and a punishable offence in
Roy's initiation of 1829.
Social Reforms
for cause of " Raja Ram Mohan Roy also opposed other evils
Women like early marriage, polygamy,etc.
" He supported female education and widow and
1:28 M|O.6'R1
lssue/Causes
that led to Details and Developments
Women
Movement
towards the inhuman
" Roy's attention was drawn
practice of sati
"From 1818 onwards he began his active
propaganda through speeches and writings
against sati.
" Largely because of his effort and persuasion,
the East India Company declared the sati
Raja Ram Mohan practice illegal and a punishable offence in
Roy's initiation of 1829.
Social Reforms
for cause of " Raja Ram Mohan Roy also opposedother evils
Women like early marriage, polygamy,etc.
widow and
" He supported female education and
inter-caste marriage.
" He wanted that women should have the right of
inheritance and property.
" Roy's Brahmo Samaj played a significant role in
the reform activities concerning women.
" Ishwar ChandraVidyasagr worked towards
propagating widow remarriage.
" The child marriage evil resulted in large
numbers of young girls ending up as widows
whose lives were miserable due to the severe
restrictions imposed on them.
" He argued in favour of widow remarriage and
Widow
published his work on "Widow Remarriage" in
Remarriage
1853.
" The efforts of Vidya Sagar, Keshub ChandraSen
and D. K. Karve resulted in the enactment of
widow remarriage act of 1856.
" In the South Kandukuri Veeresalingam led the
widow remarriage movement.
" Arya Samaj was established by him in 1875.
" He emphasised compulsory education of both
boys and girls.
" A series of schools for women- Arya Kanya
Patasalas - were the first concerted effort of
Dayanand the Samaj to promote women's education in a
Saraswathi and systematic way.
Compulsory
education for "Both Brahmo Samaj and Prarthana Samaj made
" Arya Samaj was established by him in 1875.
" He emphasised compulsory education of both
boys and girls.
A series of schools for women- Arya Kanya
Patasalas - were the first concerted effort of
Dayanand the Samaj to promote women's education in a
Saraswathi and systematic way.
Compulsory
education for " Both Brahmo Samaj and Prarthana Samaj made
Girls
forceful efforts to prove that Hindu religious
tradition were not the source of legitimacy for
the sorrowful condition of women in society.
" Under the influence of the liberal thought of the
west the two Samajs strove to restore to
women their dignified status.
" In the 19th century the average age of marriage
for girls was 8 or 9.
" The extensive propaganda by Vidya Sagar and
other reformers in this regard led the British
government to legislate in order to improve the
condition of minor girls and the age of consent
bill was passed in 1860
" Further socialreformers like Mahadev Govind
Ranade, BehramjiMalabari and TejBahadur
Sapru in their attempts to raise the age of
marriage cited several cases of consummation
Age of girls at
at the age of 10 or 11 which led to serious
marriage
physical and psychological disturbances.
" Behramji, a Parsijournalist published his notes
on infant marriage and enforced widowhood in
1884 suggesting certain reforms to be adopted
in the educational institutions to discourage
child marriage and also suggested some
corrective measures to the Government.
" At last due to the collective efforts of the
reformers in 1891, the Billknown as the Age of
Consent was passed, which rose the
marriageable age for girls to 12 years
" The social reformers felt that through female
education the social evils that were linked to
the issue of preserving and strengthening basic
family structure could be eliminated and good
wives and mothers could emerge from the same.
" Between 1855 and 1858 while he was inspector
of schools, Vidya Sagar established 48 girls'
schools.
" M.G. Ranado along with his wife propagated
female education and started a girls' high school
in 1884.
" The limited enforcement and practicability of
Female Education
legislations like widow remarriage act of 1856
and others in a tradition bound society was
recognised by D. K. Karve, who, therefore,
concentrated his efforts on promoting
education among widows.
" In 1896 Karve along with 15 of his colleagues
founded the Ananth Balikashram for the
education of widows
" He also started Mahila Vidyalaya in 1907 and
S.N. D. T. Women's University in 1916 a
separate educational institution for women so
as to lessen the resistance of orthodox section
with regard to women's education.
" The existing practice was particularly harsh on
the Hinduwidow who had no claim on her
husband's property except the right at
maintenance
" Raja Ram Mohan Roy suggested that the
Property rights government should enact and enforce laws to
for Hindu women
remove these disabilities and bring economic
freedom and self-reliance.
" As a result of such efforts, special marriage act
of 1872 with its provision for divorce and
Succession to property to women was passed.
" Thus the social reformers laid the foundation of the women's
movement in India.
o Social reform movement was the first attempt to remove the
obstacles in the life of women.
o It created awareness among the people that women must be
liberated and be made equal of men.
2. Nationalist Movement
" As aresult of the socialreform movement of the 19th century, the
socialevils were eliminated and opportunities were provided to
women for their education.
" The expansion of women's education and their admission to
educational institutions had produced a sizable number of English
educated middle class women by the late 19th century- and they made
their presence felt in political activities
2. Nationalist Movement
movement of the 19th century, the
"As a result of the social reform
opportunities were provided to
social evils were eliminated and
women for their education.
education and their admission to
" The expansion of women's
number of English
educational institutions had produced a sizable made
19th century- and they
educated middle class women by the late
their presence felt in political
activities
limited to the urban upper class
" Till1919, the national movement was
into the national movement,
and it was later with Gandhi's entrance
participation of the masses began to take place.
and women's participation in the
" In this phase, politicaldevelopments
National movement went hand in hand.
Nationalist Details of Women Participation
Events
" This resulted in the launching of Swadeshi
movement by the nationalists.
" Though there was the absence of mass awakening
amongst the women, but meetings were arranged
and khadispinnings were taken up by women.
"Women contributed their bangles, nose rings and
bracelets to the national fund.
" Invillages, women starte
" The women workers of the Arya Samaj were also
The partition responsible for arousing national spirit among the
of Bengal in people.
1905
" This Swadeshi period marked the formation of
several women's organisations.
" Sarala Devi took steps to organise the women's
movement and its nucleus in the form of Bharat
Stri Maha Mandal in Lahore in 1910.
" Parvati Devi, the headmistress of a Hindu girls'
school at Kanchi asmall town in the Madras
presidency started Kanchi Mahila Parishad to
equip women of Kanchi with knowledge to create
public opinion over burning issues of the nation.
" The period from 1911-18 is of great significance in
the history of Indian national movement because
for the first time a woman Annie Besant led the
national movement as president of Indian National
Setting up of
Congress. (Calcutta Session 1917)
Home Rule
League " It was due to women like Annie Besant that
organised movement for the emancipation of
" The period from 1911-18 is of great significance in
the history of Indian national movement because
for the first timne a woman Annie Besant led the
national movement as president of Indian National
Setting up of Congress. (Calcutta Session 1917)
Home Rule
League " It was due to women like Annie Besant that
organised movement for the emancipation of
women took place and the demand for political
rights for women came to be firmly established on
the political agenda.
" The entry of Mahatma Gandhi with his experience
altered the national politics dramatically.
" He realised the importance of mass base to Indian
nationalism.
" Gandhian style of mass mobilisation had
implications for the Indian women's movement in
as much as increasing number of women were
Entry of sought to be mobilised for participation in the
Gandhiji independent movement.
" When Gandhi launched an all India Satyagraha in
1919 against the provocative enactment of the
Rowlat Act, Women took out processions,
propagated the use of Khadi and even courted jail.
" Further, the non-cooperation movement
awakened the women of allsections and imparted
first lessons in Satyagraha.
" From the beginning, the Indian women's movement
approached the suffrage campaign as a measure to
achieve social reform.
Struggle for " The leaders believed that enfranchisement of
Suffrage
women would mean additional support for reform
legislation. After the struggle for franchise, for the
first time, Indian women exercised their vote in the
elections of 1926.
" A large number of women including Sarojini Naidu,
actively took part in the DandiMarch.
"Women participated by breaking salt laws, forest
Dandi March laws taking out processions, picketing schools,
1930 colleges, legislative councils and clubs.
"Further, In 1931 SarojiniNaidu attended the
Second Round Table Conference as an official
representative of the women of India.
" During this phase, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyaya
"During this phase, Kamala DeviChattopadhyaya
Civil addressed meetings and picketed foreign cloth and
Disobedience liquor shops.
Movement of
1930 " She was incharge of the women's wing of the
Hindustan Seva Dal
" The inauguration of provincial autonomy under
Government the India Act of 1935 gave women an opportunity
of India Act
to be elected to the state legislatures and also
1935
become administrators.
" During this phase, Men leaders were arrested in
the first round up and in their absence women
carried on the movement and bore the burnt of the
British wrath
Quit India "The women not only led processions and held
Movement demonstrations, but also organised camps in
1942 which they were given training in civil duties and
first aid and were educated on democracy.
" Women organised political prisoners' relief fund
while some women went underground and
directed the movement secretly
" In the Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra
Bose, Rani Jhansi Regiment was created for
Azad Hind Women.
Fauj
" Women were trained in nursing, social service and
to use weapons.
" Thus, it was primarily due to the efforts of women and their role in the
freedom struggle that women got the right tovote and complete
equality in the constitution of India.
However a great gap arose between the theoretical status of women
and their rights and what existed in reality
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