Image: Gandhi with women participants in the independence movement. Wikimedia Commons.

Women became visible participants in several phases of India’s freedom movement. Gandhi’s campaigns created opportunities for women to participate in political action outside conventional electoral and organisational structures of the period.

Why women became part of Gandhi’s campaigns

Gandhi’s emphasis on nonviolent action, spinning, boycott, picketing and constructive work allowed people without formal political office to participate.

Women and the Non-Cooperation era

Women participated in boycotts, promoted khadi and joined public meetings. Their involvement expanded during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Women during the Salt Satyagraha

Women took part in salt-law protests, picketing and other forms of civil disobedience. Leaders including Sarojini Naidu became prominent figures in the movement.

Beyond symbolic participation

Women’s participation was not limited to supporting male leaders. Many organised locally, faced arrest and imprisonment, and sustained campaigns when senior political leaders were detained.

Gandhi’s views on women

Gandhi frequently wrote about women’s participation and political rights. His correspondence with Jawaharlal Nehru also shows that questions about women’s representation within Congress structures were debated among the leadership.

The Nehru Archive preserves correspondence discussing women’s representation in the Congress Working Committee. citeturn0search8

Read more primary material through the Gandhi Heritage Portal and NewsNationOnline’s Dandi March feature.

Imran Siddiqui

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