Sarada Naidu

Indian feminist leader who pioneered women's education and political participation in early 20th century India

Sarada Naidu (1890-1985) was a pioneering Indian feminist and social reformer who dedicated her life to advancing women's rights during India's struggle for independence. Born into a prominent Bengali family, she defied societal norms by completing her education at Calcutta University before becoming one of the first women to join the Indian National Congress in 1917.

As a key figure in the Indian National Congress, Naidu organized women's participation in the non-cooperation movement, establishing over 500 women's committees across India. She founded the All India Women's Conference in 1927, which remains India's oldest women's organization. Her groundbreaking work included advocating for women's suffrage, property rights, and access to education through initiatives like the AIWC's literacy programs that educated over 200,000 women by 1947.

Naidu's leadership extended to international platforms, representing India at the 1933 World Conference on Women in Geneva. She collaborated with global figures like Eleanor Roosevelt to advance gender equality principles that later influenced India's 1950 Constitution. Her memoir My Pilgrimage for Freedom (1973) remains a seminal text in feminist historiography.