All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)

All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)

Subject :History

Section: Modern History

Concept:

All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), the oldest national women’s organization in India was founded in 1927 by Margaret Cousins in order to improve educational efforts for women and children and has expanded its scope to also tackle other women’s rights issues.

Genesis:

Early in 1926, at a prize-giving ceremony in Bethune College, Calcutta, the Director of Public Instruction, Bengal, Mr E F Oaten, had addressed women “who alone can help adequately to remedy what is wrong in women’s education,” and called upon them to “tell us with one voice what they want and keep on telling us till they get it”. This call prompted Mrs. A.L.Huidekoper, a lady from Ireland who had been teaching in Bethune College, to write a couple of articles in Stri Dharma, a monthly magazine published by Women’s Indian Association of Chennai. These articles caught the attention of another Irish lady, Mrs Margaret Cousins who decided to do something concrete to achieve the objective of improving women’s education in the country

The first step

The first conference called the “All India Women’s Conference on Educational Reform” was held at Fergooson College, Poona from 5 to 8 January, 1927 under the Presidentship of Maharani Chimnabai Saheb Gaekwar of Baroda. The Resolutions passed at the Conference related almost without exception to education, ranging from matters concerning Primary Schools up to those relating to College and Adult Education. The sole and notable exception was the resolution supporting Sir Hari Singh Gaur’s Age of Consent Bill. While considering the educational requirements, it was found that social reform was inevitably bound up with it. It was felt that early marriage was among the main impediments in the path of education of girls.

The Second Conference was in Delhi in 1928. Her Highness the Begum Mother of Bhopal was the President. Lady Irwin, Vicereine of India, opened the proceedings. The Conference, attended by about 200 delegates from 30 different constituencies all over India, resolved on compulsory primary education for girls. This conference marked the origin of the All India Women’s Education Fund, “to serve not only for propaganda but also for starting of institutions based on the ideals of the Conference”. The issue of differential treatment of Depressed Class children was also taken up. SmtKamaladevi Chattopadhyay, one of the articulate leaders of the conference, declared, “Education is the birthright of every child that comes into this world and it claims that right from society.”

Noteworthy Campaign

In addition to reaffirming the Resolutions of the first conference, resolutions were passed in support of Rai Saheb Haribilas Sarda’s Bill for Restraint of Early Marriages. A detailed plan for campaign was worked out to this end, which included propaganda meetings and lectures, literature and posters, petitions, postcard campaign (to be sent to representatives in the Assembly) etc. One of the most important features of the Conference was the Women’s Delegation that waited on the Viceroy and the leaders of the different political parties in the Central Legislatures, to secure the support of each in abolishing child marriage.