When the Indian Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950, it was one of the most progressive documents of its time, especially for women. Universal adult franchise, equality before the law, and freedom from discrimination were not inevitable outcomes of independence. They were argued for, clause by clause, by a group of determined women in the Constituent Assembly. Besides the contributions of heroes like Sarojini Naidu and Vijayalakshmi Pandit, there were other unsung women who ensured that gender equality in India would be a constitutional right, not a social favour.
Hansa Mehta
Hansa Mehta played a decisive role in shaping the Fundamental Rights chapter, particularly Articles 14 and 15, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. She strongly opposed wording that framed women as dependents in need of protection. Instead, she argued that women must be recognised as equal legal citizens, not beneficiaries of paternalistic safeguards.
Impact on gender equality: Her insistence on gender-neutral constitutional language ensured that women could later challenge discriminatory laws such as property rights and workplace equality, using the Constitution itself as reference, with legal foundations Mehta helped establish.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur focused on social welfare, public health, and human dignity, influencing the Directive Principles of State Policy, especially provisions relating to health, labour conditions, and social justice. She believed women’s equality was inseparable from access to healthcare, nutrition, and safe working conditions.
Impact on gender equality: Her interventions expanded the idea of equality beyond legal rights to material conditions, recognising that women’s freedom depends on bodily autonomy and wellbeing. India’s public health framework and welfare policies, particularly for women and children, trace their constitutional roots to this vision.
Durgabai Deshmukh
Durgabai Deshmukh was deeply involved in procedural and committee work and was the only woman on the Panel of Chairmen, shaping how the Assembly functioned. She advocated for women’s participation in governance, education, and legal reform, arguing that constitutional democracy required women’s representation at every level.
Impact on gender equality: She helped normalise women as decision-makers, not observers, in constitutional processes. Her work laid the groundwork for women-centred governance institutions and post-Independence welfare bodies.
Ammu Swaminathan
Ammu Swaminathan was a strong supporter of universal adult franchise without educational or property qualifications, an extraordinarily radical position at the time. She argued that denying women the vote on capacity grounds would permanently exclude them from democracy.
Impact on gender equality: Her position ensured that Indian women gained the right to vote from the very first election, unlike in many Western democracies. Women’s political participation as both voters and leaders, rests on this unconditional constitutional guarantee.
Renuka Ray
Renuka Ray was a vocal advocate for women’s economic rights, particularly inheritance, employment, and family law reform. She pushed for constitutional backing that would allow future reforms in personal laws affecting women.
Impact on gender equality: Her work created space for post-Constitution legal changes in marriage, inheritance, and guardianship. Many gender-just legal reforms such as Hindu personal law reforms draw legitimacy from the constitutional vision she supported.
Malati Choudhury
Malati Choudhury brought a grassroots feminist perspective, arguing that equality must reach rural women, Adivasis, and the poor. She supported decentralisation and participatory democracy.
Impact on gender equality: Her vision widened constitutional equality beyond urban, elite women. Local governance and grassroots women’s leadership echo her constitutional priorities.
Dakshayani Velayudhan
The only Dalit woman in the Assembly, Dakshayani Velayudhan spoke forcefully against caste discrimination and untouchability. She insisted that the Constitution must guarantee human dignity, not just formal equality.
Impact on gender equality: She introduced an intersectional understanding of oppression, linking caste, gender, and class. Her legacy is central to Dalit feminism.
Annie Mascarene
Annie Mascarene advocated for minority rights within a unified citizenship framework, opposing segregation while demanding protection. She supported secularism and equality before law.
Impact on gender equality: Her work reinforced the idea that women’s rights must transcend religious and communal boundaries. Her constitutional vision remains vital in debates on secularism and women’s rights.
Kamla Chaudhry
Kamla Chaudhry focused on labour rights, social security, and workplace dignity, particularly for women workers. She supported provisions that would allow the state to regulate working conditions.
Impact on gender equality: She ensured that working-class women were not excluded from constitutional protection. Labour protections and maternity-related rights draw from this constitutional foundation.
Together, these women ensured that India began as a republic where women voted from day one, equality was legally enforceable and discrimination could be challenged in court.