Role of Women in Freedom struggle

I. Introduction
The history of Indian struggle would be incomplete without mentioning the
contributions of women. Beginning with fighting for their rights in reform
movements, they fought with true spirit and undaunted courage and faced
hardships to earn us freedom. History has witnessed many women with
exceptional bravery and intelligence who walked shoulder to shoulder with men
of their times. Moreover the struggle for Indian independence introduces Indian
women to a new kind of liberation movement.
II. Women in Pre-colonial India
In the British Indian society women was assigned a position subordinate to man.
It is true that Indian history recorded instances of outstanding women like
Gargi, Raziya Sultan, Ahalya Bai who accomplished great feats in the speres of
literature, art, philosophy, administration and even warfare. Yet the disabilities
of a women arose from the fact that’s she was born a woman. This inferior
status of women in society was further made sancrosact by religious ordinances.
There were rampant and barbarous customs in the past as Sati, purdah, temple
prostitution which condemned women to a lifelong prison.
III. Women in Colonial India and Reform Movements
The introduction of modern English education created upper-class elites who
began to doubt the rationale of many of the existing practices in their society.
They stood against sati, child marriage, purdah and polygamy and felt the
urgency for reform of their society. The women’s movements in the colonial
period are mainly of two different concerns:
(1) social reform movements
(2) nationalist movements
The women’s movement began as a social reform movement in Indian society
and shared a concern for eliminating social ills. The reformers tried to create a
new society, modern yet rooted in Indian tradition. Also, It did not radically
challenge the existing patriarchal structure of society or question gender
relations but picked those issues which the British were pointing out as evidence
of degeneration in Indian society. Thus, education for girls was not meant to
equip them to be self-sufficient, independent and emancipated and train them to
follow some profession but to be good housewives.
Liberal Reformers believed in liberal philosophy and put forth their work for the
cause of women. Raja Ram Mohan Roy drew attention towards the inhuman
practice of sati and finally it was abolished by Lord Bentick in 1829.He
supported female education and widow remarriage and inter-caste marriage. He
wanted women to have the right to inheritance and property and education.
Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar propagated widow remarriage.
On the other hand, Revivalist Reformers believe in a programme for the revival
of Vedic society in modern India. Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 established Arya
Samaj and focused on compulsory education for boys and girls by opening Arya
Kanya Pathshalas. For widow remarriage act of 1856 the efforts of Keshab
Chandra Sen can’t be forgotten. Vidya Sagar and other reformers extensively
raised the issue of age of girls at marriage. Age of consent Bill was passed in
1891 which rose the marriageable age for girls to 12 years. Pandita Ramabai
started Sharda Sadan in Bombay in 1889 to provide an ashram to destitute high-
caste widows. Property rights for Hindu women was another issue raised by the
reformers which led to special Marriage Act of 1872 with its provision for
divorce and succession to property to women. Thus women along with men
struggled for improving their overall status in Indian society.
IV. THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENTS-
One of the most amazing events of contemporary Indian history was the rapid
entry of the Indian women into politics, especially after 1919. They not only
enthusiastically exercised the limited suffrage granted to them but even
participated in mass movements started by the Indian National Congress. A
number worked as Ministers, Under Secretaries, and Deputy Speakers of
Provincial legislatures. Women performed admirably throughout the entire
protest following the nationalists’ introduction of the Swadeshi movement,
despite the fact that there was limited female leadership.

A) Non-cooperation Movement
At the beginning of the twentieth century, M K Gandhi gave the call for a non-
cooperation movement. He made appeals to women to come out of seclusion
(Purdah) and come along with men and imparted the first lessons in Satyagraha.
Women took out processions, propagated the use of Khadi and even courted jail.
After the struggle for the franchise, for the first time, Indian women exercised
their vote in the elections of 1926. The franchise granted to women was very
restricted. The first woman to stand for election was Kamala Devi
Chattopadhyay.
B) Civil Disobedience and the Dandi Salt March (1930).
Large scale participation of women was an important feature of the civil
disobedience movement. During the salt march, thousands of women came out
of their homes to listen to the speeches of Gandhi, participated in the protest
marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many
went to jail. While women of high caste families participated from urban areas,
in rural areas they came from rich peasant households. Women were moved by
Gandhi’s call to see the service to the nation as a sacred duty of women. A large
number of women, including Sarojini Naidu, actively took part in the Dandi
March, in 1931Sarojini Naidu attended the Second Round Table Conference as
an official representative of the women of India. In 1930, Kamala Devi
Chattopadhyaya addressed meetings and picketed foreign cloth and liquor
shops. The inauguration of provincial autonomy under the India Act of 1935
gave women an opportunity to be elected to the state legislatures and also
become administrators
C) Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement was launched by Gandhi in 1942 with a significant
Slogan “Do or Die”. In the absence of lead male leaders, women carried on the
movement and bore the brunt of the British wrath, the women not only led
processions and held demonstrations but also organised camps in which they
were given training in civil duties and first aid and were educated on
democracy. The quite India resolution taken against British, directly addressed
women “as disciplined soldiers of Indian freedom required to sustain the flame
of war. Women organised political prisoners’ relief funds while some women
went underground and directed the movement secretly. Usha Mehta set up a
radio transmitter called the ‘voice of Freedom’ to disseminate the Mantra of
freedom war. News of protest and arrests, deeds of young nationalists and
Gandhi’s famous “Do or die message for the quit India movement were
circulated amongst the masses by women. ArunaAsaf Ali became a leader of the
underground movement of 1942 and urged people to liberate the land from
foreign rule and published bulletin. Rani Jhansi Regiment was created in Indian
National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose. The role played by the women folk in
the quit India movement of 1942 is a story of devotion, sacrifice and patriotism
and it will go down in history as the most remarkable contribution towards the
attainment of swaraj.
V. Participation in peasant’s and worker’s struggles
In the 1920s in Bombay, Madras, Kanpur and Coimbatore (main textile
centres)there was a trend of women joining trade unions. Whenever trade
unions united on labour issues these women participated actively for example:-
Shanta Bhalerao. Women also participated in various peasants’ struggles, like in
the Tebhaga struggle in 1946-47 women remained at the forefront of the battle
against landlord exploitation. In 1947 in the Telangana movement women
played a heroic role against Nizam and his supporters the big landlords. Many
movements gave their lives in this armed struggle.
The three major women organizations, the national council for women in India
(NCWI). The women’s Indian Association (WIA), and the all India women’s
conference (AIWC) played a major role in articulating women’s issues.

VI. Women freedom fighters of India

Bhima Bai Holkar fought the British colonel nalcoin and defeated him in a
Guerilla war fare as early in 1817.
Rani of Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of Maratha ruled state of
Jhansi, she participated in the first freedom rebellion of 1857 and dressed up as
man and fought alongside her battalion bravery against the British letters in the
history of India.
In 1882 Sakhi Samiti was the first women’s organisation founded by Swarna
Kumari Devi (sister of Rabindra Nath Tagore), but later it was converted into a
craft centre for widows.
Sarojini Naidu popularly known as Nightingale of India struggled by joining
politics during the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. During 1917-19, she
campaigned for the Montagu Chelmsford, the Khilafat issue, the draconian
Rowlet Act and the Satyagrah. In 1917 she even helped to launch women’s
Indian Association.
Annie Besent an Irish lady the pioneer of the theosophical society joined the
Indian national congress and was its first women president. In 1916 she
established the Indian Home Rule League.
Begam Hazrat Malal also known as the Begum of Awadh played a major role
during India’s first war of Independence while working with nana Saheb and
Tatya Tope. When her husband was arrested while delivering a “seditious”
public speech, Kamala Nahru went in his place to read it out.
VII. Conclusion
The women shouldered critical responsibilities in India’s struggle for freedom .
Women freedom fighters bravely faced the baton of the police and went behind
the iron bars. Hundreds and thousands of Indian women dedicated their lives for
obtaining freedom of their motherland. Indian women broke through their age
long restriction. Women in India now have full equality under the constitution
thanks to the efforts of women and their participation in the liberation struggle.
This awakening of the Indian women was the manifestation of the growth of
national sentiment and democratic urges for national and individual liberty
among them. Although the women’s movements went through growth and
decline periods, they had a long-lasting effect on Indian society. They widened
the range of political engagement and prepared the basis for subsequent
movements.