When India’s Constituent Assembly met on 9 December 1946, it was very much a male-dominated body. Of the 207 members who signed the Register, only twelve of them were women. Later, three more women joined the Assembly, which had a total membership of 299.

Their number might have been insignificant, but these fifteen women contributed substantially to the making of free India’s Constitution by their meaningful participation in the Assembly proceedings. Those were euphoric days. Women stood together with their male counterparts and fought for Independence. Acutely conscious of the feudal and patriarchal order, they championed a new society based on equity and inclusion. Together, they championed the need for equality; their aspiration echoed in the Constitution Hall.

Most of them came from privileged sections – the only exception was Dakshayani Velayudhan, from a Scheduled Caste family from Kerala. At 34 years, Dakshayani was also one of the youngest members and the only Dalit woman. The illustrious women’s list included Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Ammu Swaminathan, Sucheta Kripalani, Purnima Banerji, G. Durgabai, Kamla Chaudhri, Leela Ray, Malati Chowdhury, Renuka Ray and Annie Mascarene. While Aizaz Rasul was the lone Muslim lady, there were two Christians, Amrit Kaur and Annie Mascarene.

The one common thread that connected them was their commitment to a modern India. It was not an easy endeavour, though. Of the many Assembly Committees, not even one was headed by a lady. G. Durgabai, however, won an important position – as a member of the Panel of Chairpersons who presided over the Assembly in the absence of the President.



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