This womens’ day, we reflect on the contributions of the women members of the Constituent Assembly that framed our Constitution. The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946, before India gained independence. The Assembly consisted of 389 members, out of whom 15 members were women. Each of them had extensive experience in the national freedom struggle and local movements relevant to their place of operation. They also shaped  the Indian women's’ movement and balanced these interests with nationalist goals. Along with this, they faced the challenges of sexism within the constituent assembly and patriarchal mores in their personal lives, all of which contributed to their ideas of what a future India would look like.

In episode 4 of the DAKSH Podcast we spoke to Priya Ravichandran, an independent analyst in the field of politics and policy-making who has written extensively about the women in the Indian constituent assembly in her blog ‘15 for the republic’. We explored with her, the motivations, experiences and rich lives of these women - both inside and outside the Constituent Assembly and mused on how far we are from the idea of India they had worked for.

Reading list:


Priya Ravichandran’s blog available at ​​https://15fortherepublic.wordpress.com/


The Constituent Assembly Debates available in the Parliament’s digital library at https://eparlib.nic.in/handle/123456789/4


Speeches of the women members of the Constituent Assembly ​​https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/publication_electronic/Selected%20Women%20Speech_Final.pdf


Priya Ravichandran, The Women Who Helped Draft Our Constitution, Mint  https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/dLi6ZIdW6CgswZCGdOA9VM/The-women-who-helped-draft-our-constitution.html


HS Anupama, Samvidhana Mattu Mahile, Ladai Prakashana publications, 2019 in Kannada (ಸಂವಿಧಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಿಳೆ)


Youtube series by The Scroll on Women in the Constituent Assembly hosted by Priya Ravichandran. The first episode is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ldVv2TFZME

Host: Anindita Pattanayak

This is a Maed in India production.

Production Head & Editor: Joshua Thomas

Sound Mixing: Kartik Kulkarni

Project Supervisor: Shaun Fanthome

This womens’ day, we reflect on the contributions of the women members of the Constituent Assembly that framed our Constitution. The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946, before India gained independence. The Assembly consisted of 389 members, out of whom 15 members were women. Each of them had extensive experience in the national freedom struggle and local movements relevant to their place of operation. They also shaped  the Indian women's’ movement and balanced these interests with nationalist goals. Along with this, they faced the challenges of sexism within the constituent assembly and patriarchal mores in their personal lives, all of which contributed to their ideas of what a future India would look like. In episode 4 of the DAKSH Podcast we spoke to Priya Ravichandran, an independent analyst in the field of politics and policy-making who has written extensively about the women in the Indian constituent assembly in her blog ‘15 for the republic’. We explored with her, the motivations, experiences and rich lives of these women - both inside and outside the Constituent Assembly and mused on how far we are from the idea of India they had worked for. Reading list: <ol class="ProsemirrorEditor-list"> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> Priya Ravichandran’s blog available at ​​<a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://15fortherepublic.wordpress.com/">https://15fortherepublic.wordpress.com/</a> </li> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> The Constituent Assembly Debates available in the Parliament’s digital library at <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://eparlib.nic.in/handle/123456789/4">https://eparlib.nic.in/handle/123456789/4</a> </li> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> Speeches of the women members of the Constituent Assembly ​​<a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/publication_electronic/Selected%20Women%20Speech_Final.pdf">https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/publication_electronic/Selected%20Women%20Speech_Final.pdf</a> </li> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> Priya Ravichandran, The Women Who Helped Draft Our Constitution, Mint <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/dLi6ZIdW6CgswZCGdOA9VM/The-women-who-helped-draft-our-constitution.html"> https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/dLi6ZIdW6CgswZCGdOA9VM/The-women-who-helped-draft-our-constitution.html</a> </li> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> HS Anupama, Samvidhana Mattu Mahile, Ladai Prakashana publications, 2019 in Kannada (ಸಂವಿಧಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಿಳೆ) </li> <li class="ProsemirrorEditor-listItem" data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"> Youtube series by The Scroll on Women in the Constituent Assembly hosted by Priya Ravichandran. The first episode is available at <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ldVv2TFZME">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ldVv2TFZME</a>  </li> </ol> Host: <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="mailto:anindita@dakshindia.org">Anindita Pattanayak</a> This is a <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.maedinindia.in/">Maed in India</a> production. Production Head & Editor: <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://twitter.com/tig3rbabu">Joshua Thomas</a> Sound Mixing: <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://twitter.com/KartikGKulkarni">Kartik Kulkarni</a> Project Supervisor: <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://twitter.com/shaunfanthome">Shaun Fanthome</a>

Welcome to the DAKSH podcast. DAKSH is a Bangalore-based non-profit dedicated to judicial reforms and access to justice in India. Through this series, we will critically examine India’s laws, judicial administration, the prison system, family law and other topics that we hope will help you understand our public institutions and your rights. Join us every Tuesday, as we discuss and decode this system.

DAKSH Podcast

This womens’ day, we reflect on the contributions of the women members of the Constituent Assembly that framed our Constitution. The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946, before India gained independence. The Assembly consisted of 389 members,...

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