Awareness among women, spread of education, increased level of communication
among women made them aware of the different problems that they faced and their
rights and accountabilities in society.
This awareness led to the upsurge of women's organisations which fought for women’s
causes.
The women’s organization can be studied in two phases:
1. Pre-Independence
2. Post-Independence
PRE-INDEPENDENCE:
Interestingly, early efforts at women's liberation were set in motion by men.
Social reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Swami Dayanand Saraswati and
related organizations such as Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj challenged the
conventional subservience of women, stimulated widow remarriage and supported
female education and impartiality in matters of religion, among other issues.
The Bharata Mahila Parishad launched in 1905 under the aegis of the National Social
Conference was one amongst the most prominent organization which served as a
ground for women to deliberate social issues.
Above initiatives significantly impacted the social status of women.
But the above said movements suffered from a major inadequacy in that they were
planned for restricted upper caste women and did not take up the cause of the huge
masses of poor and working-class women.
2
Another major development vis-a-vis women was in terms of their political
participation.
Women began openly demonstrating their opposition to colonialism by supporting civil
disobedience actions and other forms of protest against the British.
This gave them the muchneeded confidence and a chance to develop their leadership
skills.
Political awareness among women grew substantially.
It was also realized that women's issues could not be separated from the political
environment of the country.
During this period, the initial women's organizations formed within the historical background of
the social reform movement and the nationalist movement were as follows:
THE WOMEN’S INDIA ASSOCIATION (WIA):
The WIA was created by Margaret Cousins in Madras.
While working closely with the theosophical society it encouraged nonsectarian
religious activity and did creditable work in promoting literacy, setting up shelters for
widows and providing relief for disaster victims.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN IN INDIA (NCWI):
This organization was created by women in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata who
capitalized on their networks developed during World War I work and created the NCWI
in 1925.
THE ALL INDIA WOMEN’S CONFERENCE (AIWC) IN 1917, 1925 and 1927
CORRESPONDINGLY:
The most important of the women's organizations of the time was the All India
Women's Conference. Though its initial efforts were directed towards improving female
education, its scope later extended to include a host of women's issues such as women's
franchise, inheritance rights, etc.
POST-INDEPENDENCE:
In the post-independence period, the crusade of women organization was not the same
as during the pre-independence times.
This was because the common enemy, the Britishers were no longer there.
Some of the women leaders formally joined the Indian National Congress and took
powerful position as Ministers, Governors and Ambassadors.
3
Newer organisations like the National Federation of Indian Women (1954), the
Samajwadi Mahila Sabha (1959) were formed to work for supporting the cause of
Indian women. It was now that the Indian women got an opportunity to participate in
confrontational politics.
Women's organizations now observed that there was an issue of implementation and
consequently there was a pause in the women's movement.
1. Self Employed Women's Association:
It was in Ahmedabad that the first attempt at a women's trade union was made with
the establishment of the Self-employed Women's Association (SEWA) at the
initiative of Ela Bhat in 1972.
Major objective was to improve the condition of poor women who worked in the
unorganized sector by providing training, technical aids and collective bargaining.
SEWA has been a remarkable success.
2. Nav Nirman Movement:
The movement was initially started as a student's movement in Gujarat against
rising prices, black marketing and dishonesty launched in 1974, but it was soon
joined by huge number of middle-class women.
3. During the 1970s and 1980s:
The 1970s and 1980s observed the development of numerous women's groups that
took up issues such as dowry deaths, bride burning, rape, and sati and focused on
violence against women.
Among the first campaigns that women's groups took up was the struggle against
rape in 1980.
4. Annapurna Mahila Mandal (AMM):
Another important movement was the AMM which works for welfare of women and the
girl child.
It conducts various activities that include educating women on topics of health,
nutrition, mother and childcare, family planning, literacy and environmental sanitation.
5. Swadhina:
Another women organization in India is Swadhina (Self-esteemed Women) which
was formed in 1986.
It is principally a civil society organization focused on Empowerment of women and
Child Development based on Sustainable Development and Right Livelihood.
4
6. All India Democratic Women's Association
It is also dominant woman organization which is an independent left oriented
women's organization committed to achieving democracy, equality and women's
emancipation.
AIDWA was created in 1981 as a national level mass organization of women.
Other women organizations of India:
1. All India Federation of Women Lawyers
2. All India Women's Conference
3. Appan Samachar
5. Bharatiya Grameen Mahila Sangh
WOMEN’S ORGANISATION AS AN SHG (Self Help Group)
The idea of women’s SHGs initiated 30 years ago in the 1980s to safeguard rural women.
Women’s SHGs are alliances wherein women empower each other through support,
education, encouragement and financial assistance to achieve their personal and
professional goals for a better future.
SHGs are generally comprised of the poor village or tribal women who form a financial
savings cooperative and are mostly supported by national, international NGOs and
social work initiatives.
Each member contributes a small monthly or biweekly fee set aside to be used as loans
to members.
SHGs have been momentous in promoting economic growth for its members who were
previously stuck in a cycle of poverty.
Benefits of SHGs
Entrepreneurship: An analysis of SHGs of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh Projects in India
demonstrate SHGs abilities to promote financial independence among women by
allowing them to participate in marketplace trade, become entrepreneurs and earn
livelihoods.
Aid in political participation: According to the Livelihood Improvement Project in the
Himalayas, members of women’s SHGs were elected heads of 170 local governments
out of the 669 in the region.
An entry into MGNREGA: Women are refused work under MGNREGA because
according to some, they are weaker and less capable compared to their male
counterparts. But with the backing of their SHG, women have been able to successfully
fight discrimination and secure work opportunities.
5
poor rural women to receive lifesaving healthcare.
Education and awareness: SHGs also educate women regarding maternal, new-born
and child health. Also, a greater percentage of women attend village nutrition days and
ensure timely immunizations for their kids. SHGs educate women on the benefits of
family planning, help them overcome societal constraints and space their pregnancies.
Community Development: Besides enhancing women’s prospects, SHGs also promote
community development through distribution of funds, resources and technical
assistance.
6
GS1_2013:
Question: Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women’s
organization free from gender bias. Comment. 10 marks-200 words.
Approach:
Note: A very tricky question. Don’t take sides in such questions.
Give both views.
Some Way out
Gender bias is generally a product of perceptions of one gender towards
another.
Some reflections of gender bias include sati, dowry, female infanticide, etc.
Yes, because:
o Having male will add more perceptions to the organisations and give an
opportunity to women to look at women related issues from both perspectives.
No, because:
o Some feminists believe that only women can understand women’s problems
and struggles. They believe membership should be only for women in social
organizations and NGO’s created to carry forward the fight against
discrimination.
7
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