Vera Kabeer

A pioneering Indian feminist and political activist who reshaped women's rights during the Indian independence movement.

Vera Kabeer (1898–1972) was a visionary leader who emerged during the early 20th century as a key figure in India’s struggle for independence and gender equality. Born in Kolkata, she defied societal norms by pursuing higher education in law, becoming one of the first women to graduate from the University of Calcutta in 1920. Her activism began during Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent campaigns, where she organized women’s brigades to protest British colonial policies. In 1930, she co-founded the All-India Women’s Resistance League, which mobilized over 50,000 women to participate in salt marches and boycott British goods.

Kabeer’s legacy lies in her dual focus on political independence and social reform. She authored Women as Nation Builders (1941), a seminal text advocating for women’s suffrage and economic empowerment. Post-independence, she lobbied for the inclusion of gender equality clauses in India’s constitution, directly influencing Article 14. Her work extended globally, as she represented India at the 1945 UN Conference on Human Rights, challenging colonial-era gender biases. Despite her contributions, her name remains overshadowed by male contemporaries, making her a symbol of unrecognized female leadership.