Today is woman’s day . As world and India celebrates woman’s day we are here by listing ten woman who have been pioneer’s in their respective ways and have contributed immensely to India. They are source of inspiration not just to Indian women but to all Indians.

They have fought all the odds , social norms and made their way for millions to follow. We have not included aishwarya rai , sushmita sen , priyanka chopra , sonia gandhi , menka gandhi , Indira gandhi , our president, lata mangeshkar and many , many others . Their contributions are immense too but we focused on list about women who are either not well known are have become history.

On occasion of women’s day this is our tribute to women of India who have been part and parcel of long civilization and contributed in making of this nation. We salute all women of India because of whom , our world in better place to live in.

1) Sarojini Naidu :

A prominent freedom fighter sarojini naidu was strong woman who was much ahead of her times.

She participated in dandi march along with mahatma gandhi and led Dharasana Satyagraha after the arrests of Gandhi, Abbas Tyabji, and Kasturba Gandhi.

Casteism in big issue even in India of 2010 . Sarojini naidu fell in love with Dr. Muthyala Govindarajulu Naidu  and had inter caste marriage in 1896!!!!!!.

While we are seeing rising women power in India in all ways of life , sarojini naidu can be said to be one of strongest example of women power and her contribution to Indian freedom struggle is immense.

2) Ela Bhatt

During cnn-ibn’s true makers of India program , the historian ram guha named ela bhatt as one of person whom he thinks is makers of India but due to only ten people list which had to cover various field , he could not include her name.

Ela bhatt has transformed lives of so many women in gujarat and has been mentor /source of inspiration for many all across the globe.

Founder of Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA) , ela bhatt is well respected leader of the international labour, cooperative, women, and micro-finance movements .

3) Maharani Laxmi Bai :

Symbol of courage , determination and self respect maharani laxmi bai is immortal freedom fighter who fought against britishers in 1857. Her name itself induces respect , courage.

4) Kiran Bedi :

How much India respects her can be stated by the fact that she is among most respected Indian coming before A.R.Rahman , Narayan Murthy , Anand and sachin tendulkar.

Kiran Bedi is source of inspiration and role model not just for women in India but for all Indians. First woman to become IPS , kiran bedi is now social activist .

Navajyoti (which literally means New Enlightenment), set up in 1987, and India Vision Foundation, set up in 1994, are the two major voluntary organizations established by her with the objectives of improving the condition of the drug addicts and the poor people.

She also runs a website called safeindia.org . If police doesnot register complain , one can log on in that website and register the complain. The website takes care of reaching to dig and get the needful done.

5) Sudha Murthy :

She is known for her philanthropic work  through infosys foundation. But she is not just wife of an industrialist . She has lot of things to her own credit. She paved way for woman in telco by becoming first woman to be select by telco. Telco had man only policy of recruitment. She wrote to tata for this gender bias approach. She was called for special interview in which she got selected . Her savings were instrumental in foundation of infosys too.

6) Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay :

Visionary freedom fighter kamaldevi’s contribution to freedom struggle and Indian art in immense.

->she founded the All-India Women’s Conference (AIWC) and became its first Organizing Secretary
-> She was first woman to run for legislative seat in India.
-> She became first woman to be arrested during freedom struggle movements
-> She did set up Indian Cooperative Union to help with rehabiliation during partition
-> After independence she worked for reviving of India art and she did set up craft museums for India’s indigenous crafts.
->She also started Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography (NIKC)
-> She did set up famous national school of drama

7) Leela Roy :

A amazing lady with sheer determination , leela was first woman woman to be admitted to the University of Dhaka and earned her M.A. degree.She encouraged girls learning skills and receiving vocational training and emphasized on the need to learn martial arts to defend themselves. Over the years, she set up a number of schools and institutes for women.

After partition she ran homes in Calcutta for destitute and abandoned women and tried to help refugees from East Bengal.

Isha Basan Joshi :

She was first woman to become I.A.S officer in british India. She was also the first “Indian” to be accepted into the “Bastion of the British

9) Rajkumari Amrit Kaur :

She was first woman to become minister of cabinet rank in independent India. She was minister of health and did become first asian and first woman to become president of world health organization. She was prime force behind ALL INDIA MEDICAL SCIENCE’s establishment.

10) Kadambini Ganguly :

She was first woman to graduate in India and first first female physician of South Asia to be trained in European medicine

Reference : wikipedia, indian history,

Share on Facebook