All India Mahila Congress

All India Mahila Congress
File:Flag of the Indian National Congress.svg
Abbreviation	AIMC
President	Sushmita Dev, Member of Parliament
Founded	November 1983 (1983-11)
Newspaper	Congress Sandesh
Student wing	NSUI
Youth wing	Indian Youth Congress
Labour wing	INTUC
Election symbol
Website
www.aimc.in
Politics of India Political parties Elections

The All India Mahila Congress (AIMC), also referred to as Mahila Congress is the women’s wing of the All India Congress Committee and Ms. Sushmita Dev ,Member of Parliament (Silchar) is the current President of the AIMC.

The women’s movement has a long history in India and we are very proud of the role played by a number of women Congress leaders who fought for women’s rights and the country’s independence. (to find out more about them do have a look at this fascinating account of our journey over the years -this should be a link to the women’s timeline).

As we proudly build on our history, we remain committed to the cause of gender equality and creating a fair and just society as promised in the Indian Constitution (relevant sections to be linked here).

In fact, at the AIMC each of us is a champion for women and their rights and is working towards creating a society where women can contribute fully to achieving their personal goals and the goals of the AICC. We welcome women from all over the country to join us in building a truly empowering movement and believe that the Congress ideology is strengthened by the diversity of our members and their experiences.

The AIMC believes in promoting and prioritizing women’s policy issues and advocates action on a broad range of such issues at the national and international level. In our efforts to ensure that concerns of women get appropriate support we work closely with our sisters in remote villages, small towns and large cities across the country. We partner with civil society organizations, government institutions and legislators to help design laws and policies that will truly benefit the women of India.

Given the fundamental problems facing women in India today, our basic aim is to create an environment that will improve women’s access to education, economically fulfilling roles, and leadership positions, both in public and private institutions. We also want to ensure an end to violence against women. Above all we want to ensure that equality between the sexes underpins all government policies and spending.

Finally, we are focused on amplifying the voices of women in government, public and private institutions and want to ensure more and more women are able to influence policy on issues that matter most to them. AIMC also functions as a peer support system, which we hope will become the natural nurturing ground for more and more female elected representatives.

Mahila Congress are extremely proud to be a part of a movement that had its genesis in the nation’s freedom movement and the fight for women’s rights in India. The timeline below takes you on a veritable journey of some of the milestones on this long fight, the people behind them, some of the momentous decisions taken and the historic role played by Congress women.

Brief History

Pre-independence

• In 1817 Bhima Bai Holkar fought against Colonel Malcolm of the British Army and defeated him in guerrilla warfare.
• In 1824 RaniKittur Chennamma led an armed rebellion against the British in response to the "Doctrine of lapse" and was eventually arrested.
• In 1848 Savitribai Phule along with her husband Jyotirao Phule founded the first women’s school in India at Bhide Wada, Pune. She also fought against the caste system.
• In 1857 Begum Hazrat Mahal played a major role in the National Uprising of 1857, which is often referred to as the First War of Independence.
• In 1907 On 21st August at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, Madam Bhikaiji Cama raised and unfurled what she called the “First flag of Independence”.
• In 1911 Annie Besant along with Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya helped establish what we today know as the Banaras Hindu University ,Varanasi.
• In 1916 Annie Besant established the Indian Home Rule League at Adyar madras.
• In 1917 Annie Besant was elected the first woman president of the Indian National Congress.
• In 1918 from 26 to 31 august, Bombay Congress Session, Sarojini Naidu put forward proposal for women’s right to vote. It was passed in the Aligarh session of the Congress with virtually no dissent.
• In 1925 Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman to occupy the position of president of the Indian National Congress.
• In 1926 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was the first woman candidate for the legislative assembly.

• In 1937 Vijaya Laxmi Pandit was elected to the United Provinces legislature and became the first woman in India to hold a cabinet post.
• In 1940 Sucheta Kriplani became the first head of the Women’s department of the Congress.

• In 1942, Usha Mehta organized and hoisted the Indian Flag at a rally when most of the senior leaders, including Gandhi were arrested.
• In 1942, Usha Mehta Established a clandestine radio station which broad casted messages from Gandhi and other leaders, called Secret Congress Radio.

• In 1942, Aruna Asaf Ali was dubbed as the heroine of 1942 movement for her bravery in the face of danger and is popularly known to have hoisted the flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay.
• In 1942, Matangini Hazra ,a widow aged 72, picked up the Congress flag (Sept 29, 1942) in Midnapore, WB, and led a battalion in the name of Gandhi and attacked the symbols of power – police station and courts.

• In 1942, Captain Lakshmi Sehgal was made in charge of establishing and leading the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, comprising women soldiers.

• In 1945-46, Hansa Mehta became the President of All India Women's Conference and in her presidential address at the All India Women`s Conference convention held in Hyderabad, she proposed a Charter of Women`s Rights.
• In 1946, A newly formed constituent assembly came together to debate and draft a constitution for a soon-to-be Independent India. Among the 299 India, 15 were women who had either been voted or chosen to represent their provinces.

Post-independence

• In 1947, August- The first flag that flew over Parliament was presented on behalf of the women of India to the newly Independent Nation .

• During 1947-61, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Entered the diplomatic services and was the first woman Ambassador in the world who attained the position in three countries – Moscow (1947-49), Washington (1949-51) and Ireland (1955-61).

• In 1947–48 Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit as the Indian Delegate on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in, Hansa Mehta was responsible for changing the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from all men are created equal (Eleanor Roosevelt’s preferred phrase) to all human beings, highlighting the need for gender equality.

• In 1947, Sarojini Naidu became the first woman to be appointed Governor (of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh).
• In 1952, Women’s wing of the Congress was established and called the Women’s Cell.
• In 1953-54, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly.
• In 1954, Aruna Asaf Ali established the National Federation of Indian Women.
• In 1957, Durgabai Deshmukh became a Lok Sabha member as well as a member of the Planning Commission of India.
• In 1963-67, Sucheta Kriplani became the first Chief Minister of U.P and the first woman to be elected as the Chief Minister of any state of India.

• In 1969, Indira Gandhi nationalised fourteen major commercial banks.
• In 1970, The Green Revolution in India culminated under Indira Gandhi’s government and transformed the country from a nation heavily reliant on imported grains and prone to famines to eventually achieving its goal of food security.

• In 1971, On 27 March 1971, the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi , expressed full support of her government to the Bangladeshi struggle for Independence. India sent its troops to fight against the Pakistani forces and also launched a global diplomatic offensive to help create Bangladesh.
• In 1974, 18th May, Under Smt. Indira Gandhi’s leadership, India successfully tested the first indigenously designed nuclear explosive thus laying the foundation of an effective nuclear deterrent against the country’s enemies.
• In 1980-84, Indira Gandhi became the second longest serving Prime Minister of India and the only woman to hold the office.
• In 1983, Smt. Indira Gandhi formalized the Women’s Cell of the Congress as an independent Frontal Organization and named it the All India Mahila Congress with the express duty of working towards politically enabling and empowering women.

• In June 1984, First Membership Drive for Mahila Congress was launched.
• In September 1984 in Bangalore Session, a Constitution was adopted and the All India Mahila Congress started functioning as a Frontal Organization with the approval of the President All India Congress Committee.
• In 1984 Begum Abida Ahmed was appointed as the first All India Mahila Congress President.

• In 1992 the one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj came through during Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao’s tenure, as Indian National Congress Prime Minister. India is one of the few countries in the world to have this (put the number of women who are currently are elected to PRI’s)

• In 2007 Smt. Pratibha Patil became the first woman President of India.
• In 2009, during the tenure of UPA II, Smt. Meira Kumar was elected unopposed as the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

• In 2010, The Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB), which gives 33.33% (1/3rd) reservation for women at all levels of Indian politics, was passed by an overwhelming majority in the Rajya Sabha.

• In 2017, Mahila Congress ran a nation-wide drive for signatures for #WomenFor33% Campaign and urged the National Democratic Alliance government to not only pass the bill in Parliament but also implement it before 2019 general elections.

• In 21st Sep, 2017, Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, Ho’nbl President Indian National Congress, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji asking him to bring the 'WRB to floor at earliest, promising bipartisan support on this Bill.

List of previous presidents

Year	Name		Place
1983–1988		Begum Abida Ahmed	Uttar Pradesh
1988–1990		Jayanti Patnaik	Odisha
1990–1993		Kumudben Joshi	Gujarat
1993–1998		Girija Vyas	Rajasthan
1998–1999		Ambika Soni	Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan)
1999-2003		Chandresh Kumari	Rajasthan
2003–2008		Rita Bahuguna Joshi	Uttrakhand
2008-2011		Prabha Thakur	Rajasthan
2011–2013		Anita Verma	Himachal Pradesh
2013–2017		Shobha Thomas Oza	Madhya Pradesh
2017–Current		Sushmita Dev	Assam

Current Structure and Composition

We are Four Tier Organisation(a relevant chart here) All India Mahila Congress - Organisation:

• The National Council
• The Pradesh/ Territorial Mahila Congress Committees
• The District/ City Mahila Congress Committee
• The Block/ Ward Mahila Congress Committee.

State and Territorial Units

• Andaman and Nicobar PMC
• Andhra Pradesh PMC
• Arunachal Pradesh PMC
• Assam PMC
• Bihar PMC
• Chandigarh PMC
• Chhattisgarh PMC
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli PMC
• Daman and Diu PMC

• Delhi PMC
• Goa PMC
• Gujarat PMC
• Haryana PMC
• Himachal Pradesh PMC
• Jammu and Kashmir PMC
• Jharkhand PMC
• Karnataka PMC
• Kerala PMC

• Lakshadweep PMC
• Madhya Pradesh PMC
• Maharashtra PMC
• Manipur PMC
• Meghalaya PMC
• Mizoram PMC
• Nagaland PMC
• Odisha PMC
• Puducherry PMC

• Punjab PMC
• Rajasthan PMC
• Sikkim PMC
• Tamil Nadu PMC
• Telangana PMC
• Tripura PMC
• Uttarakhand PMC
• Uttar Pradesh PMC
• West Bengal PMC

Policy Focus/ Objectives

According to the Constitution of the Mahila Congress, the Organisation shall work towards fulfilling the following objectives:

• To organize the women of India towards the realization of the objectives of the Indian National Congress.
• To enable them to contribute towards the realization of a secular, socialist, democratic India.

Mahila Congress believes that women’s empowerment is crucial to the progress of the Indian Republic and that we must work together with men as equal partners to ensure that all citizens are equally empowered.

However there are still areas where Legislation and Public Policy have not kept pace with our core objective - allowing women to take their rightful place in society. We believe that to fight for our rights we need to speak up on behalf of each of our sisters. If you too are convinced that women’s rights are worth fighting for, and that we have to raise our voices so loudly that they cannot be ignored any more, then join us in demanding our rights in a strong and unequivocal manner.

Our Campaigns

#WomenFor33%

Our current campaign WomenFor33% is a landmark endeavour to gather public support for giving women 33% reservation in all elected bodies from Panchayat to Parliament, and we believe that once passed this landmark legislation will change the power equations in country forever.

Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB) is a historic move in the Indian political landscape as currently women occupy less than 10% of seats in the Parliament. Post independence, the first LokSabha had just 4.4% women. It was not until the 1980s, under the visionary leadership of Shri. Rajiv Gandhi, that the women’s movement for political representation gained real momentum and is a reality today.

With passing of this bill, India’s politics will move closer to equitable inclusion than ever before.

The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Bill, 1992 added a new Part IX to the Constitution titled The Panchayats covering provisions from Article 243 to 243(O).

All India Mahila Congress views

While we have seen an increase in women voting in elections at the panchayat, state, and central levels, there are still a very small number of women who successfully represent citizens at the State or Central level. As our experience with governance at the Panchayat level has shown, this imbalance needs correction because women in leadership positions take decisions that further the cause of inclusive societies. This is a fact that has also been borne out in countries where a large number of women representatives are a part of legislative bodies. To correct historical imbalances that continue today, we strongly believe that more women must be elected to Parliament and that the Women’s Reservation Bill is the only way forward on this issue.

Functions

The Mahila Congress as an organization has a role to play in the following fields.

Political

• To organize the women of India towards the realization of the objectives of the Indian National Congress.
• Work for the political awakening and larger participation of women in political and governance institutions. Pursue and push the agenda of getting 33% Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB) in all elected Bodies- from Panchayat to Parliament.
• Be an active arm of the AICC for recruitment, canvassing and encouraging citizens to vote for the establishment of a Congress government.
• Be the voice of the women of India.

Social

• Bring women together from different walks of life to help create a progressive and just society as promised in our Constitution.
• Support women in their fight for gender equality, justice and safety.
• Create awareness and help implement women-focused social, health and economic programs run by the Central and State Governments.
• Promote National Unity and Integration and Communal Harmony amongst all.

Organisational

• Be the training ground for women who want to participate in politics.
• Create a large talent pool of Mahila Leadership in the country.
• Provide opportunity, exposure, platform and a strong peer support system for upcoming women leaders.
• Impart training in Public and Political work in close association with the Indian National Congress along with other Organizations formed by, associated with or recognized by the AICC.
• Take up all such activities that are necessary for and incidental to the objectives of the Mahila Congress and Congress.
• Building the capacity of the Mahila Congress Cadre: the Mahila Congress becomes the repository of the “best in society” including the best students, business leaders, sports people, musicians, film-makers, academics, scientists, professionals, respected community leaders and so on – either as members or as active supporters committed to the cause of Positive social transformation.

Vision And Mission

To ensure that women do, and will always play an equal role in the political and public life of our country.

Safety- Dignity- equality encapsulates the vision and mission of Mahila Congress as an Organisation as well as a Political entity and it shall strive to achieve these values in Social, Political and personal fields pertaining to women.

Safety

In India, a crime is committed against a woman every three minutes. From Female foeticide, infanticide, child trafficking, honor killings, acid attacks, molestation, childmarriage, dowryanddowrydeaths, domesticviolence, femaleinfanticide, molestation, sexual harassment at work, malnutrition, rapes and assaults, women across India face dangers in myriad ways, at home and outside.

Our vision is of a Nation and society Where a Woman’s safety is paramount and assured, right from a foetus to an Old age and her physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing is protected and given every opportunity to thrive.

A vocal champion of women’s interests, Mahila Congress endeavors to highlight the plight of women hailing from the different segments of our society through innovative and focussed social campaigns around women’s rights issues and problems. The All India Mahila Congress shall also work towards building awareness and empathy for these issues in society and where ever possible, push for legislations to counter these issues via appropriate political platforms.

Dignity

From her mere physical dignity to finding her rightful place in our patriarchal society as an equal, a woman can face many challenges. Her dignity as an individual, as a citizen of our nation is denied and challenged by centuries old prejudices, misogynist attitudes and a male dominated society.

However, in today’s India, woman have a never before possibility of consolidating their position and breaking age old traditions and mindsets, reimagining and creating a society Where her dignity is upheld, her being celebrated for what it is and not asked to reflect or follow that of a man.

Mahila Congress has resolved to be an agent of change by being a sympathetic partner, an enabling institution, a training and collaborating platform for women to assert and achieve these goals

Equality

The Constitution of India grants equal rights and status to women in the social, cultural, economic and political fields. But in spite of these formal rights, Indian women are still to achieve substantive equality within the social, economic, and political spheres. There is a world of ignorance and prejudiced violence which has kept her in the shadow of men. We envisage a Nation where every woman is as aware of her Rights and capable of executing them as she is of her duties. Where she is not a second-class citizen but an equal- in Rights, Responsibilities and decision making.

Mahila Congress shall endeavor to push for political awareness and will open these avenues through conferences, talks, legislations, bills and campaigns.

See also

• Indian National Congress
• Indian Youth Congress
• National Students' Union of India