WOMEN OF INDIA WHO MADE A MAJOR IMPACT ON HISTORY

It is said that well-behaved women rarely create history. Here are a few rogues that were ahead of their time.

We wish to honour the skilled female artisans who create many of Mata Traders’ items, as well as the powerful, inspirational women of India who have left their imprint on history. The list below includes only a handful of brave women who have broken through boundaries and transformed their country for the better.

Kiran Bedi

In 1972, Kiran Bedi became the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). She left the service voluntarily in 2007 as the Director-General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development. She was named Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in May 2016, a position she still occupies today. She founded the NGO Navjyoti India Foundation (NIF) in 1984, with the aim of assisting in the recovery and rehabilitation of drug users, but it has since grown to address illiteracy and women’s empowerment concerns. In addition, in 1994, she established the India Vision Foundation, which seeks to reform police agencies and jails, empower women, and revitalize rural regions in India.

Sucheta Kriplani

Sucheta Kriplani, a freedom fighter during the Indian Independence Movement, collaborated closely with Mahatma Gandhi during the Partition riots. She was elected to the Constituent Assembly and, as a member of a subcommittee, assisted in the drafting of India’s constitution. She was elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1963, becoming the country’s first female Chief Minister.

Irom Chanu Sharmila

Irom Sharmila ends her fast: What it means to Manipur and struggle against  AFSPA - Oneindia News

Irom Chanu Sharmila, widely known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur,” just ended her 16-year hunger strike on March 14. She had been fasting in protest of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) since she was 28 years old. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) gives the military the authority to use unrestricted force in “disturbed” areas of India in order to suppress uprisings. Sharmila was arrested for “attempted suicide,” held in a hospital, and fed through a nasal tube when she began her hunger strike. After realizing that her fast was not producing the desired results, Sharmila stopped her fast and decided to pursue a career in politics.

Kanaklata Barua

Kanaklata Barua - Officers Pulse

“You, young men and women – you the heroes and heroines, colour the land with your crimson blood – adorn it with the power of your heart’s promise, let your warm blood pour like sunshine upon the gloomy ground” She was lured to the independence struggle and harboured a strong hatred of foreign domination. The brutal prosecution of famous local leaders like Cheniram Das, Mahim Chandra, and Jyoti Prasad Agerwal angered her even more. Her grandpa, it is reported, was opposed to Kanaklata attending freedom fighter gatherings.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, a freedom fighter, feminist, and socialist, was a key contributor to India’s independence struggle and an advocate for women’s equality. Following India’s partition in 1947, she created the Indian Cooperative Union, which assisted in the rehabilitation of over 50,000 refugees in the newly formed township of Faridabad. The industrial township now has a population of around 1.5 million people. Kamaladevi is well recognized for her efforts to conserve Indian handicrafts and to safeguard the craftsmen who create them. Concerned about the impact of Western mass-production methods on India’s traditional crafts, she established several craft museums around the nation, as well as the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography. Her vision was crucial in the formation of the All India Handicrafts Board.

Justice Anna Chandy

When Justice Anna Chandy was appointed to a district court in 1937, she became the first female Indian judge. When she was appointed to a high court in 1959, she became only the world’s second woman to hold the prestigious title of a high court judge. In addition to her judicial successes, Justice Chandy fought for women’s rights in Shrimati, the newspaper she created and published.

Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule, dubbed “one of the first-generation contemporary Indian feminists,” is most known for co-founding the first women’s school in India with her husband, Jyotirao Phule. The pair founded 18 girls’ schools, and Savitribai became India’s first female teacher and headmistress. However, their charitable activities did not end there. Savitribai and her husband founded an “infanticide prohibition home” to assist pregnant victims of sexual exploitation who were at risk of committing suicide or infanticide as a result of their situation. They also defied the caste system by digging a well in their home and inviting untouchables who were denied drinking water by the higher caste.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Pandit’s career as a diplomat and politician was filled with notable achievements. She was the first Indian woman to serve as a Cabinet Minister and the first woman in the world to serve as an ambassador to three separate nations, in Moscow, London, and Washington, D.C. Especially noteworthy She was, however, the first woman and Asian to be elected President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Usha Mehta

During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Usha Mehta, a freedom fighter and devoted devotee of Mahatma Gandhi, and a handful of her colleagues established the clandestine radio station Secret Congress Radio. Her actions resulted in her arrest and four-year jail term for plotting against the British government. In 1998, the Indian government bestowed upon her the Padma Vibhushan award, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.