Vira Mehta

A pioneering Indian social reformer who championed women's education and gender equality in the mid-20th century

Vira Mehta (1912–1998) was a visionary social activist and educator whose work profoundly impacted India's approach to gender equality. Born in Ahmedabad, she witnessed the stark disparities faced by women in education and employment during British colonial rule. In 1943, she co-founded the Ahmedabad Women's College, the first institution in Gujarat dedicated to providing higher education for women. This initiative directly challenged societal norms that limited women's access to intellectual development.

Mehta's advocacy extended beyond education. She spearheaded the Vira Mehta Memorial Foundation in 1965, which created vocational training programs for rural women. Her 1958 publication Women's Work and Economic Independence became a cornerstone text in feminist economics, arguing that women's economic participation was essential for national development. Her work influenced India's 1961 Employment Guarantee Act, which mandated equal pay for equal work regardless of gender.

Internationally, Mehta represented India at the 1963 UN Commission on the Status of Women, where she proposed groundbreaking frameworks for measuring gender disparities. Her legacy is preserved through the Vira Mehta Archive in Mumbai, which houses over 10,000 documents related to India's women's rights movement. Modern scholars like Dr. Priya Nair credit her with laying the groundwork for India's 2005 reservation policy for women in local governance.