Topic: Women's Reform Movements (WRM) - Part 2 (మహిళా సంస్కరణ ఉద్యమాలు)
Context:
Continuation of the previous lecture on WRM.
Focus: Specific women reformers, major women's organizations, and the struggle for political rights (especially voting).
Source Mentions: NCERT (Class 8 - Religion, Women, Caste chapter), Spectrum, Ambedkar Pragati Series.
I. Key Women Reformers & Their Contributions (మహిళలు, వారి రచనలు/సంస్థలు)
Sarala Devi Chaudhurani (సరళాదేవి చౌధరి):
Relation: Rabindranath Tagore's niece (మేనకోడలు).
Institution: Founded Bharat Stree Mahamandal (భారత్ స్త్రీ మహామండల్) in Allahabad (అలహాబాద్) in 1910.
Significance: Considered the first major All-India women's organization established by a woman.
Music: Provided the tune (సంగీతం) for Vande Mataram (వందేమాతరం). (Important: Compare with Margaret Cousins & Jana Gana Mana).
Swarna Kumari Devi (స్వర్ణకుమారి దేవి):
Relation: Rabindranath Tagore's sister (చెల్లెలు).
Institution: Founded Ladies Society (లేడీస్ సొసైటీ) in Calcutta (కలకత్తా).
Journalism:
Published the journal Bharati (భారతి).
Significance: Considered the first woman journalist (మహిళా విలేఖరి) in India and Bharati the first newspaper/journal run by a woman.
Tarabai Shinde (తారాబాయి షిండే):
Key Work: Book Stri Purush Tulana (స్త్రీ పురుష తులన) - Comparison between Men and Women.
Significance: Regarded as the first feminist book (స్త్రీవాద పుస్తకం) in India. Critiqued gender discrimination.
Source Note: Mentioned prominently in NCERT (under "Women write about women"), but not in Spectrum according to the speaker.
Pandita Ramabai Saraswati (రమాబాయి సరస్వతి):
Titles: "Pandita" (పండిత) and "Saraswati" (సరస్వతి) awarded for her exceptional Sanskrit scholarship.
Institutions:
Founded Arya Mahila Samaj (ఆర్య మహిళా సమాజ్) (with help from M.G. Ranade).
Served as the first president of Seva Sadan (Bombay), founded by Behramji Malabari.
Books/Writings:
Testimony (టెస్టిమోని) - Her autobiography (ఆత్మకథ).
Higher Caste of Hindu Women (హయ్యర్ కాస్ట్ ఆఫ్ హిందూ విమెన్).
Bala Vitantu Geyam (బాల వితంతు గేయం) - Poem about child widows.
Other Points:
Converted to Christianity.
Called "Prajal Moses" (ప్రజల మోజెస్ - Moses of the People) by William Franklin (బాప్టిస్ట్ - Baptist).
Awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind medal by the British government for her social services.
II. Major Women's Organizations (మహిళా సంస్థలు)
(Speaker emphasizes these are All-India level institutions founded BY women)
WIA (Women's Indian Association):
Year: 1917.
Founder: Margaret Cousins (మార్గరెట్ కజిన్స్).
First President: Annie Besant (అనిబిసెంట్).
Key Members: Ammu Swaminathan (అమ్ము స్వామినాథన్), Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (కమలాదేవి చటోపాధ్యాయ), Muthulakshmi Reddy (ముత్తు లక్ష్మీ రెడ్డి).
Goal: Fight for women's Political Rights (రాజకీయ హక్కులు), especially suffrage (voting rights).
Action: Made representation to the Montagu-Chelmsford committee and the Southborough Committee regarding women's franchise.
CWI (Council of Women in India):
Year: 1925.
Nature: Indian branch (భారతీయ విభాగం) of the International Council of Women.
President: Mehrabai Tata (మెహ్రాబాయి టాటా).
Key Member: Karolina Sarabji (కరోలినా సరాబ్జీ) - India's first woman barrister (న్యాయవాది).
AIWC (All India Women's Conference):
Year: 1927.
Founder: Margaret Cousins.
First Meeting: Held at Fergusson College, Pune (ఫెర్గుసన్ కాలేజీ, పూణే).
First President: Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad (మహారాణి చిమ్నాబాయి గైక్వాడ్) of Baroda.
First Secretary: Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (కమలాదేవి చటోపాధ్యాయ).
Key Focus: Initially women's education (మహిళా విద్య), later expanded to political rights.
Contributions: Establishment of Lady Irwin College (1932), worked on family planning (కుటుంబ నియంత్రణ), child rights (బాలల హక్కులు).
SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association):
Year: 1972.
Founder: Ela Bhatt (ఎలా భట్).
Place: Gujarat.
Context: Post-independence organization, but important. Founder Ela Bhatt passed away recently (2022), and the organization completed 50 years. Focuses on the rights and welfare of self-employed women. (Current Affairs Relevance).
III. Political Rights for Women (రాజకీయ హక్కులు)
Right to Vote (ఓటు హక్కు) / Franchise:
Initial Demand: WIA (1917) under Annie Besant & Margaret Cousins demanded voting rights.
Southborough Committee (Franchise Committee) (1917-18):
Formed to advise on franchise for the upcoming 1919 Act.
Rejected voting rights for women.
Government of India Act, 1919:
Did not grant voting rights at the central level.
Permitted Provincial Legislatures (రాష్ట్ర శాసనసభలు) to grant women suffrage if they chose. Left it to their discretion (విచక్షణ అధికారం).
Granting of Suffrage by Provinces/States:
1920: Travancore-Cochin (ట్రావెన్కూర్ కొచ్చిన్) (Princely State) - First in India.
1920/21: Madras Province (మద్రాస్) - First British Province.
1921: Bombay Province (బాంబే).
1925: Punjab, Bengal, Central Provinces.
1929: Bihar & Orissa.
1924: Assam.
Limitations: Vote was restricted based on property, education, and crucially, husband's voting eligibility (భర్తకు ఓటు ఉంటేనే భార్యకు). Not universal suffrage.
Government of India Act, 1935: Expanded franchise somewhat but still limited; introduced reserved seats for women.
Right to Contest Elections / Enter Legislature:
First Woman to Contest Election: Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (కమలాదేవి చటోపాధ్యాయ) - Contested from Madras, but lost.
First Woman to Enter Legislature (Nominated): Muthulakshmi Reddy (ముత్తు లక్ష్మీ రెడ్డి).
Nominated to Madras Legislative Council in 1926.
Became the First Woman Deputy Speaker/Chairperson (ఉపాధ్యక్షురాలు) of a legislature in India.
Resigned: In 1930 during the Civil Disobedience Movement (శాసన ఉల్లంఘన) in protest against Gandhi's arrest.
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