WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION

IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL

MOVEMENT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
◦ To try and understand what is Indian National Movement.
◦ To understand who are the main women leaders of Indian National Movement.
◦ To analyze the contribution of women in Indian National Movement.
CHAPTERS
◦ Notable Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement…………….7
◦ 2.1 Rani Lakshmi Bai…………………………………………………...7
◦ 2.2 Sarojini Naidu………………………………………………………7-8
◦ 2.3 Sarojini Naidu…………………………………………………........8-9
◦ Women Organisations…………………………………………..………10-11
◦ Participation of Female Leaders in the Indian National Movement.……12-15
INTRODUCTION
◦ The Indian National Movement is a part of the Indian Independence or Freedom
Movement.
◦ The political, socio-cultural, economic struggles faced during the Freedom
movement led to a sense of Nationalism in the Indian people.
◦ The Indian Revolt of 1857 or the Sepoy Mutiny is seen as the starting of the Indian
National Movement. The other notable events are Non Corporation Movement, the
Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement.
◦ Women played a significant role in the Indian National Movement which actually started
after the sepoy mutiny of 1857. Even though the contribution of women in attaining
independence of India is generally neglected and not given importance to but in reality,
they played a crucial role in the movement. Apart from the prominent, famous and
popular women leaders like Rani Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Kasturba
Gandhi, etc there are numerous other less known women who have given their all and
contributed in the Indian National Movement. Women’s participation in India’s, freedom
struggle began over a century before country became independent at the time when
conservative traditions and social customs had derived them their rightful place in the
society.

◦ There are many women who participated in the Indian National Movement but here we
will look into only three namely Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant.
2.1 RANI LAXMI BAI
◦ Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi, which is located on
the north India. She was one of the most important women leader of the first war of
India's independence that started in 1857. 
◦ Rani Lakshmibai was one of the leading warriors of India’s freedom struggle who
laid an outstanding influence on the succeeding women freedom fighters. She used
to go into the battlefield dressed as a man. Holding the reins of there, horse in her
mouth she used the sword with both hands. She fought valiantly and although
beaten she refused to surrender and fell as a warrior should, fighting the enemy to
the last.
2.2 SAROJINI NAIDU
◦ Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, first female President of the India National
Congress. She campaigned for the Khalifat Movement. When Gandhi launched the
Civil Disobedience Movement, she proved a faithful lieutenant. In 1930 when
Mahatma Gandhi chose her to lead the Salt Satyagraha the stories of her courage
became legend. After Gandhi’s arrest she had prepared 2,000 volunteers under the
scorching sun to raid the Dahrsana Salt Works, while the police faced them half a
mile up the road with rifle, lathis (canes) are steel tipped clubs. 
2.3 ANNIE BESANT
◦ Annie Besant was a prominent British women's rights activist, she was a president
of the Congress and gave a powerful lead to women’s movement in India. She soon
became a leading labour organizer, strike leader and reformer. She also became
involved in Indian Nationalism and in 1916 established the Indian Home Rule
League of which she became President. She started a newspaper, “New India”,
criticized British rule and was jailed for sedition. She came to be associated with
rationalistic congress group of workers who did not appreciate Gandhi’s views.
WOMEN ORGANISATIONS
◦ When the Indian National Movement was going on which saw some active participation form women for the
freedom of India from under the British Empire, the Indian women got together in central as well regional
levels to form women’s organisations in order to fight for women’s rights in aspects like women’s education,
abolition of evil social customs like purdah, child marriage, equality of rights and opportunities and women’s
suffer- age and right for representation in legislatures and most importantly for attaining independence of
India from the British Empire.
◦ Women’s organization appealed to both government and nationality for support. However government
support was often a compromise. The nationalists on the other hand were more sympathetic for the
women’s question, since 1920, because they needed their participation in the nation-building project.
◦ Bharat Mahila Parishad
◦ Bharat Stri Mahamandal
◦ Women’s Indian Association
◦ National Council of Women in India
◦ All India Women’s Conference
◦ Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust
CONCLUSION
◦ The Indian National Movement began after the sepoy mutiny in 1857 which saw a
surge in the nationalist sentiments develop in the people of India which led to
various other movements like Non-Corporation Movement, Civil Disobedience
Movement and Quit India Movement among others taking place in order to attain
freedom from the British Empire. It was not only the Indian men who participated
and contributed in the National movement but the women also played an active
role in the movement. There were a lot of women participating in the movement
but some the prominent ones who have been dealt with in this research are Rani
Laxmi Bai, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Bessant. The contribution of women in the freedom
struggle of India is often overlooked but in reality, they played a very important role
in the movement and without the women’s contribution attaining freedom would be
much more difficult. During the period of the National Movement the Indian women
formed various women organisations in order to boost the plight of women in the
country as well as help in attaining the bigger goal of independence from the British
Empire.