Study Guide · Chapter 25
24. ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT
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24. ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT
Women participated at every stage of the freedom struggle — from 1857 to 1947 — as fighters, organisers, satyagrahis, writers, and political leaders.
| Name | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Rani Lakshmibai | Warrior-queen of Jhansi, Revolt of 1857 |
| Begum Hazrat Mahal | Led resistance at Lucknow, 1857 |
| Bhikaiji Cama (Madam Cama) | Hoisted an early version of the Indian flag at the International Socialist Conference, Stuttgart, Germany, 1907 — first hoisting of an Indian flag abroad |
| Annie Besant | Home Rule Movement; first woman President of INC (1917) |
| Sarojini Naidu | "Nightingale of India"; poet; led Dharasana Salt Works raid (1930); first Indian woman President of INC (Kanpur session, 1925); later first woman Governor of an Indian state (UP, post-independence) |
| Kasturba Gandhi | Participated in Satyagraha movements in South Africa and India |
| Kamala Nehru | Active in Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements |
| Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit | Congress leader; later independent India's first woman cabinet minister, first woman President of the UN General Assembly (1953) |
| Aruna Asaf Ali | Hoisted flag at Gowalia Tank during Quit India Movement, 1942; underground leader |
| Usha Mehta | Ran secret "Congress Radio" during Quit India Movement |
| Captain Lakshmi Sahgal | Led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA |
| Sucheta Kripalani | Quit India Movement activist; later independent India's first woman Chief Minister (UP, 1963) |
| Pritilata Waddedar & Kalpana Dutt | Chittagong Armoury Raid revolutionaries |
| Bina Das | Attempted assassination of Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson (1932) |
| Matangini Hazra | Elderly satyagrahi killed by police firing during Quit India Movement in Midnapore, Bengal (1942), while leading a procession carrying the national flag |
| Durgabai Deshmukh | Salt Satyagraha organiser in Andhra; later social reformer |
| Rajkumari Amrit Kaur | Gandhian, close associate of Gandhi; independent India's first Health Minister |
Key Facts / Quick Revision Points — Women in the Movement
- Bhikaiji Cama — hoisted Indian flag abroad first, Stuttgart 1907.
- Sarojini Naidu — first Indian woman President of INC (Kanpur, 1925); "Nightingale of India."
- Annie Besant — first woman President of INC overall (1917).
- Matangini Hazra — martyred during Quit India Movement (1942), Midnapore.
- Rani of Jhansi Regiment (INA) — Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.
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