On February 13, 2014, Google celebrated the 135th birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, India's first woman to become the President of Indian National Congress. The pen which replaces the L in the doodle, represents her passion for writing. This 'Nightingale of India' was also a poet, politician, orator and an activist. She was an exceptional student, who studied in King's College, London and Girton College, Cambridge.
Naidu was one of the many leaders who contributed to the Indian Independence Movement and joined the freedom struggle in 1905. She was inspired by many of the stalwarts of the time such as Nehru, Gandhiji, Jinnah and Gokhale. Some of her noted contributions are in women's emancipation, nationalism, welfare of the youth and dignity of labour.
Naidu was the first woman who had the rare gift of touching the hearts of her listeners and using this gift she started a feminist movement. She believed that the freedom of India also meant freedom of women from the shackles of tradition and backwardness and she fought for this cause till the end. The women of India suffered from: Polygamy, Enforced widowhood, Child marriage, Female infanticide, Pardah system and prejudices against women's education.
Through her speeches she empowered the women and inspired them to fight for their birthright. She made them conscious of their social and political rights, and February 13th is celebrated as "National Women's Day" in India. India may still be plagued by many of these social disabilities, but there's no doubt that the women have come a long way since Naidu.
Rokheya Shekhawat Hossein (1880 - 1932)
"Sultana's Dream" was the work of a Bengali social worker, writer and Muslim feminist activist, Begum Rokheya Shekhawat Hossein born on December 9 1880. It is a satirical piece involving utopian male/female role reversal.
Like Naidu, Hossein was one of the first Islamic feminists who devoted her life to liberate women from the social bondages. She courageously wrote to promote women emancipation and used humor, irony and satire to highlight the injustices and oppression imposed on the Muslim women. She was the founder of the first Muslim girls high school and Islamic Women's Association that held debates and conferences which focused on the women issues and their education.