Indian Feminists

Students may choose any of the feminists listed below to research. Afterward, they can write a 1-page essay and email it to HumanistMutualAid@gmail.com. In the essay, please highlight the three most important ideas or contributions of the feminist and share your own reflections, thoughts, and reactions to their views. You can write about as many of the feminists as you wish.

Savitribai Phule - Pioneer of women’s education in India; opened the first girls’ school in Pune in 1848 and fought both caste and gender discrimination.

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain - Bengali Muslim feminist, educator, and writer of Sultana’s Dream; advocated for girls’ education and women’s emancipation in colonial India.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay - Freedom fighter, social reformer, and cultural activist; promoted women’s political participation and economic independence through handicrafts cooperatives.

Vina Mazumdar - Key figure in India’s women’s movement; led the Committee on the Status of Women in India (1974) and pushed for policy reforms based on gender equality.

Flavia Agnes - Lawyer and women’s rights activist; co-founder of Majlis Legal Centre; campaigns for legal reforms in domestic violence, family law, and women’s property rights.

Urvashi Butalia - Feminist publisher, writer, and co-founder of Kali for Women; known for documenting women’s histories and voices, including in The Other Side of Silence.

Meena Kandasamy - Dalit feminist, poet, and activist; uses literature to confront caste, patriarchy, and gender violence.

Kamla Bhasin - Feminist activist, poet, and educator; known for grassroots work on gender equality, and for popularizing the slogan “Azadi!” (“Freedom!”) in feminist movements.