The Awakening of Indian Women - Paperback

Published 14 September 2023

By Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and Others

Introduced by Sumita Mukherjee

“Walls of tradition cracked and rays of new hope came creeping in....”

The Awakening of India Women is Kamaladevi’s anti-colonial feminist vision—a dream of India liberated from the violence of British colonial rule.

Told by a vibrant cast of activists at the centre of feminist and anti-imperial struggles, Awakening includes a historical account of the Indian feminist movement written by Irish suffrage activist and anti-colonial agitator Margaret Cousins.

First published on the eve of the Second World War and, until now, buried in the archives, this unique document from the first global feminist movement is testimony to the deep historical roots of revolutionary feminist thought and action.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (3 April 1903–29 October 1988) was a social reformer, author and central figure in the inter-war Indian feminist movement.  She believed strongly in the relationship between cultural and economic autonomy; Kamaladevi’s greatest legacy was the revival of Indian handicrafts, handlooms, and theatre in independent India.

Praise for The Awakening of Indian Women

“Radical and visionary, Kamaladevi’s The Awakening of Indian Women deserves a place on feminist reading lists and in the wider transnationalist feminist imagination, where it promises to provoke and inspire. Among other things, it is a potent reminder that feminism is not an invention or prerogative of the West”— Amia Srinivasan

“A rare document from the global first feminist movement”—Samita Sen

“Testament to the longstanding Indian women’s movement, and the shared roots of feminist and anti-colonial struggles”—Lucy Delap