All India Democratic Women's Association
Encyclopedia
The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) (in Hindi
: अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला समिति) is the women's wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
.
AIDWA has an annual membership fee of one rupee, which allows it policy-independence from donor agencies and government. In 2007, it had over 10 million members, spread across 23 states.
in 1981, with delegates from 12 States representing 590,000 members.
The eighth National Conference was held at Kolkata
in 2007, with 951 delegates from 23 States, representing a membership of around 18,600,000. Former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu
addressed the inaugural session.
), Ganatantrik Nari Samiti (Tripura
), and Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan (Maharashtra
).
Shyamali Gupta has been elected as AIDWA
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला समिति) is the women's wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
.
History and Scope
The All India Democratic Women's Association, AIDWA was established in 1981, and works for women's rights and for their education, employment and status, along with issues like casteism, communalism, child rights and disaster aid.AIDWA has an annual membership fee of one rupee, which allows it policy-independence from donor agencies and government. In 2007, it had over 10 million members, spread across 23 states.
National Conference of AIDWA
The first National Conference of AIDWA was held at ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in 1981, with delegates from 12 States representing 590,000 members.
The eighth National Conference was held at Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in 2007, with 951 delegates from 23 States, representing a membership of around 18,600,000. Former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
addressed the inaugural session.
Regional Affiliations
Its regional affiliates include Paschimbangla Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti (West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
), Ganatantrik Nari Samiti (Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
), and Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan (Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
).
Office Bearers
- Shyamali Gupta - President(2011)
- Shyamali Gupta - Working President
- Brinda KaratBrinda KaratBrinda Karat is a communist politician from India, elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Communist Party of India CPI member, on 11 April 2005 for West Bengal.In 2005, she became the first woman member of the CPI Politburo...
, Kalindi Deshpande, Pramila Pandhe, M C Josephine, Mythali Sivaraman, Anjali Devbarman, P K Zainaba, Vibha Ghosh Goswami - Vice Presidents (eight vice-presidents)
- Sudha Sundararaman - General Secretary Prior to this Brinda KaratBrinda KaratBrinda Karat is a communist politician from India, elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Communist Party of India CPI member, on 11 April 2005 for West Bengal.In 2005, she became the first woman member of the CPI Politburo...
remained its General Secretary 1993-2004.
- Six joint secretaries
Further reading
- Brinda Karat; Survival and Emancipation: Notes from Indian Women's Struggles. Three Essays Collective, New Delhi, 2005. ISBN 8188789372.
- Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp 215-241 (1994)
Shyamali Gupta has been elected as AIDWA