FIRST LADIES: CONTRIBUTION OF INDIAN WOMEN IN 20th CENTURY – By Sanskar Dubey

Women are the Essence of Society

Any study of society is incomplete without study the status, role or even position of women in it. Indian Women constituted the cornerstone of within the arch of Indian society. In the 20th century, Indian women have been participating in the country’s affairs steadily. Their smooth adaptation to new ways of life is a tale of sizable achievements. Increasingly venturing into new avenues of and private and public employment, they fill their roles with self-belief and maturity in experience and responsibility. In the all-India competition and selective examinations, some of them have been on the top of the lists. Their representation as politically, socially, professionally has a positive impact on the new generation. They have gone to the polls with notch gusto, tipping the scales in politics. The office of Prime Minister, of course, has been held with distinction and strength by a woman since 1966

They can lead!: Know the First

There are women governors, ministers, ambassadors; women in administrative, judicial, educational and professional services. Despite social pressures, there is field of activity in India in which women are participating. After 1910, women skilled in organizing and running in local women’s associations, and convinced that women should take the leadership into their own hands, started provincial and national women’s associations. Indira Gandhi, the “Margaret Thatcher” of India, is one of the most powerful Indian women in the country’s history. There is an exhaustive list of powerful and emancipated Indian women akin to Indira Gandhi, such as Sarojni Naidu, a devoted participant of India’s freedom struggle alongside Mahatma Gandhi; Kiran Bedi, India’s first women who joined Indian Police Service in 1972 as a highest-ranking officer and is famous for her tough and innovative police strategies, Madhuri Kantikar is the third women from the armed forces who will now hold a Lt. Gen. Rank and first pediatrician from the armed forces. Indira Nooyi, chairwoman, and CEO of PepsiCo is an Indian-born leading businesswoman in corporate America. Sushmita Sen who not only was the first Indian miss universe but also has adopted two girls even without marriage which is inspiring to all the single mothers and those who stand against female infanticide and many more. Although there are a number of powerful women in India, who are able to exercise their agency in India and globally. Some of the most effective contribution by some of the powerful women in the 20th century which helped in the vast development of India. Savitribai Phule was a pioneer of women’s education in India.

It’s a never ending list.

Moreover, she was a Dalit and was doubly marginalized. She played an important role in improving women’s rights and ending social prejudices in India during the British Rule. She also was the first woman to light her husband’s pyre in the history of India. Vijaya Lakshmi was the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post. She served as the president of the Indian National Congress twice. She was also India’s ambassador to Russia during the late forties, and the governor of Maharashtra, later. Pandit is best known for being the first woman president of the UN General Assembly. Another important example is Sucheta Kriplani was a great freedom fighter of India. Sucheta worked in close association with Mahatma Gandhi during the time of partition riots. She went along with him to Noakhali in 1946. She was one amongst the handful of women who got elected to the Constituent Assembly. She became a part of the subcommittee that was handed over the task of laying down the charter for the constitution of India. She became the first woman to hold the prestigious position of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Feminist,” Anna Chandy was the first woman in her state of Kerala to get a law degree. During her time as a barrister, she advocated for women’s rights. She then went on to become the first female judge in India. Sarojini Naidu, named as ‘The Nightingale of India’ was a child prodigy. She was elected as the first woman President of the Indian National Congress and following India’s independence she became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Prem Mathur, after acquiring her commercial pilot’s license. When asked how she would handle night halts, when she would likely have to sleep in close quarters with men, she answered, “You will not regret hiring me.” Passing all the legal requirements, and quizzed on all the information required, she became the first woman pilot in India.

These Womens’ make us proud Overseas too!

Kalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut and the first Indian woman in space. Kalpana is an inspiration to many people in India and around the world. We have to learn a lot from Kalpana Chawla, who achieved her goal with a lot of hard work and suffering rather than other common people. In Chandrayaan 2 mission is the first for the space agency to have two women leading it as project and mission directors, with two decades of experience in Isro who started their careers in the 20th century. Moreover, nearly 30 percent of the members working on the Chandrayaan-2 mission is women. Reita Faria Powel is an Indian model, doctor and beauty queen, who won Miss World 1966 to become the first Asian woman to win the title. She also went on to become the first Miss World winner to qualify as a doctor. Arati Saha became the first Indian and Asian woman to swim across the English Channel in the year 1959. She also became the first female sportsperson to be awarded Padma Shri in 1960.

Mother Teresa became the first Indian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa founded many Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, giving her life to social work. Justice M. Fathima Beevi became the first female judge who was appointed to the Supreme Court of India in 1989. Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest In 1984. Later, she led expeditions in 1993, 1994 and 1997 with a team comprising of only women in ‘Indo-Nepalese Women’s Mount Everest Expedition,’ ‘The Great Indian Women’s Rafting Voyage’ and ‘First Indian Women Trans-Himalayan Expedition.’ Durga Banerjee was the first Indian female pilot and captain of Indian Airlines in the year 1966. She was also the first woman ever to fly the ‘Tornado A-200’ aircraft. Harita Kaur Deol became the first woman pilot to fly solo in the Indian Air Force, in 1994 Priya Jhingan with a dream to serve the Indian Army, became the first lady cadet to join the Indian Army in 1993. From then to now the bravery and vigor of women have only multiplied. An important example is in the current times is of pilot Swati Raval, the pilot of Air India who flew to Italy and bought back 265 Indians stranded there due to the coronavirus outbreak. She stepped up when the nation needed her. In tune with the global phenomenon, educated Indian women seem to have formed a vision of equality with men. They have acquired a tremendous zeal to secure what they call ‘lost rights.’ Blatantly, they appear bent on ensuring their individuality to gain the freedom to explore their potential as integrated human beings. They no longer consider themselves silent spectators in this dynamic world situation but feel an urgent obligation to action and role-contribution. They urge breaking away from hackneyed traditions, warped social thinking and double standards of morality, that have blocked the worthwhile contributions they could make to the country’s welfare.

They are the Grace of Past and Shinning Stars of Future.

Subhadra Joshi, 57, Member of Parliament said, “I guess my political inclinations developed rather early. I was expelled from school when I was in sixth grade for refusing to salute the Union Jack.” As a school girl she participated in the movement to secure the release of Bhagat Singh. Subhadra was deeply involved in working with the underground Congress during the Quit India movement. She was a patient of pleurisy but on hearing about the communal riots ran away from the hospital to organize anti-riot activity. Fearlessly, she devoted herself to fighting communal frenzy. In 1952, Subhadra was elected a Member of Parliament from Karnal. She said, “Women have to fight on two fronts at home and in politics. Traditionally, Indian women are not treated as human beings but as commodities.” She stated that men ‘keep’ the women as they want to. She compared the marriage market to the demand and supply ratio; a working girl now is given preference to a non-working girl. Subhadra complained, women in India are brought up for marriage alone, and are moulded into something their prospective husbands will find desirable. She stated that if this conception was eradicated, it would aid in uplifting the status of women.

This Change is So Positive!

Modified Global-Indian Woman is displaying the ‘shift’ in the stereotyping of the image of the Indian woman. The ‘shift’ in the image of the Indian woman is a result of the socio-economic transition- a period of liberalization of the economy and apparent encouragement of private investment in industry and infrastructure, inducing sustained high growth in the service sector. It might be easy to be a woman today, in the 21 st century, but it has not always been this way. There was a time when the word ‘feminism’ or ‘women empowerment’ wasn’t even coined. There was a time when women struggled to break society’s so-called ‘norms’ and achieve what they were truly born to be. This Women’s Day, we round up a list of golden women who shone from the pages of our history books to become the inspiration to our lives. If these women inspire you, you must definitely take a look at these successful women from history, who broke the social chains to become pioneers in their respective fields. And these women entrepreneurs who have made a mark for themselves.

This Beautiful Article on women is written by Sanskar Dubey, Student of the 1st year of Christ University Delhi.

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