The history of women’s struggle for the right to vote is long. It is a historic journey filled with personal sacrifice, physical violence, legal consequences, mental and emotional distress, delayed justice, and protracted struggles. Despite significant costs, the women’s suffrage movement achieved monumental victories, expanded democratic participation, and laid the foundation for ongoing struggles for equality and civil rights around the world.
Equality does not mean that everyone is equal, but that everyone deserves and should be given equal opportunities. The concept becomes complete when we combine justice with equality, which means developing a policy and practice that supports and justifies the idea of special arrangements (taking differences into account). The history of women’s equality is a long and complex journey, spanning centuries and encompassing a wide range of social, political and economic struggles, as the status of women has varied from place to place.
In this struggle for women’s equality, several leading women made tremendous contributions such as Christine de Pizan and Mary Wollstonecraft who fought for women’s education and intellectual equality, Mary Astell who fought for women’s rights in marriage and education, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott who fought significantly against legal inequalities, particularly the right to vote. The struggle for women’s suffrage gained momentum in the late 19th century when countries such as New Zealand and Australia became the first to grant women the right to vote in 1893 and 1902 respectively.
World history has been marked by the most important victories of women’s suffrage around the world. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 granted American women the right to vote. In Britain, the Representation of People Act of 1918 extended the right to vote to women over 30, and full suffrage was introduced in 1928. Women also entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during the World Wars, leading to shifts in societal views on gender roles. Influenced by the global women’s suffrage movements, Indian women began demanding more rights and freedoms during British colonial rule.
Educated women began to participate in public life and campaigned for education and social reforms as well as for the right to vote, particularly through the Women’s Delegation led by Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant and Margeret Cousins. Madras was the first province to grant women the right to vote in 1921, although this right was restricted to landed women. Later, after independence from British rule in 1947, India adopted a new constitution which came into force on 26 January 1950.
The Indian Constitution guaranteed universal adult suffrage, which meant that all citizens regardless of gender, caste, religion or education had the right to vote, which meant the attainment of full suffrage for Indian women.
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every year on August 26 to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. It prohibits states and the federal government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote because of their sex. At the behest of Representative Bella Abzug in 1971 and 1973, the U.S. Congress declared this day as Women’s Equality Day. The day draws attention to women’s ongoing efforts to achieve full equality.
This concept resonates across the world, including in India, where the struggle for women’s rights has deep historical roots. This day recognises the contributions of pioneering women like Sarojini Naidu, Savitribai Phule and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, who played a crucial role in defending women’s rights in various fields. India has achieved significant positive development in gender equality and this day is an opportunity to celebrate these achievements and the progress made.
This day is important to raise awareness about the ongoing issues of gender-based violence and gender discrimination in the country and serves as an important platform to empower women and girls in India and encourage them to assert their rights, pursue educational and career opportunities, and participate fully in society.
The events and discussions held on this day can inspire generations of women leaders and lead our country to a better future through everyone’s participation in nation-building.
