Periyar and Feminism

The emancipation of women and the self-respect movement were the major issues he fought for. Actively voicing against the exploitation of the Dalits, of the women; he was nothing short of a radical feminist to the core.

Periyar was one of the few leaders of that era, who made sure that women were active participants in politics and stepped out into the streets. The mass crusade of 1921 against the toddy shops (Kallukadai Mariyal) and the anti-Hindi agitation of 1937 witnessed maximum women on the frontline because of him. Meenabal, a Dalit woman conferred Ramasamy with the title of “Periyar” (elder one, or wise one) in 1938 in Chennai, at a conference where he talked about women’s rights and liberation. Periyar was a strong force during that time who battled with all his might for women’s education and gender equality.

He insisted that women should have the right to choose their life partners and also to walk out of a failed marriage. He said that bearing a child too is, ultimately, a woman’s choice.

Periyar wrote about women and their household obligations stopping them from being free, in the weekly Kudi Arasu in 1947 (18.03.1947) stating, “That there should a separate gender just to look after one’s house and cook is infinitely worse than the Varna system.” And, he suggested “Community cooking” will be a better option to bring women out of kitchen” and he also insisted the need for “child-care centres” led by Government.”