Question

Why was Congress reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation? How did women participate in Civil Disobedience Movement? Explain.

Answer 1

• Gandhiji was convinced that it was the duty of women to look after the home, be good mothers and good wives. And for a long time, the Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organization. It was keen only on their symbolic presence.
• Women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
• In urban areas, these women were from high-caste families whereas in rural areas, they came from rich peasant households. Moved by Gandhiji’s call, they began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women. Yet, this increased public role did not necessarily mean any radical change in the way the position of women was visualized.