May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is celebrated globally on May 1st to honor the labor movement's struggles for fair wages, reasonable working hours, and safer conditions. On this day we highlight five such revolutionary women who have contributed to India's labor force movement. Read about Anasuya Sarabhai, Geeta Menon, Rukmini, Amarjeet Kaur, and Beena Pallical.
In an era of rapid technological change, May Day prompts a revaluation of workplace dignity, equity, and justice. Meanwhile, Indian women are at the forefront of labor and change, contributing to India's labor force and defining labor, resilience, and empowerment. They have a legacy of creating value before employment statistics were acknowledged. However, women now contribute as organizers, entrepreneurs, and union leaders, often working in unpaid, invisible ways.
Let us know about five such revolutionary women who have contributed to India's labor force movement.
Anasuya Sarabhai - Pioneer of Women's Labor Movement in India
Anasuya Sarabhai, affectionately known as 'Motaben', was a trailblazer in India's labor force movement and a staunch advocate for women's rights. Born on November 11, 1885, in Ahmedabad, she hailed from the influential Sarabhai family. Despite her privileged background, she dedicated her life to uplifting marginalized communities, particularly women workers.
Being a pioneer in India's labor rights movement, she improved the working conditions of textile mill laborers in Ahmedabad. She established India's first organized labor union, the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association, in 1920, transforming the labour landscape. Influenced by her time in England and her association with Mahatma Gandhi, Anasuya infused the labor movement with ideals of non-violence, dignity, and justice, empowering women workers.
Geeta Menon - Women's Rights Activist
Geeta Menon, an Indian women's rights activist, has dedicated over three decades to advocating for the rights and dignity of marginalized women, particularly in the unorganized labor sector. Her work involves legal reform, public awareness, and community engagement, shaping policies and attitudes that uplift thousands of women across India.
Geeta has made major key contributions toward women workers, including co-founding Stree Jagruti Samiti, which focuses on empowering women workers, particularly domestic workers, by addressing their rights and improving their working conditions. Geeta Menon leads the Domestic Workers Rights Union, advocating for fair wages, social security, and protection from exploitation, while highlighting the invisibility of domestic workers in urban and semi-urban households.
Rukmini - Garments and Textile Workers' Union (GATWU)
The Garment and Textile Workers' Union (GATWU) was founded in 2006 by a garment worker, Rukmini, to address the management issues and represent the workers' interests. She noted that the drastic differences in treatment between men and women in garment factories are large.
Rukmini highlights that 85 per cent of garment factory workers are women, but management is predominantly male. They face harassment, abuse, and discrimination, including bullying, sexual harassment, and threats. Women often use factory-organized transport, but drivers are often drunk. Wages are also deplorable, with minimum wages remaining constant and not increasing in the past decades.
To combat the significant issues faced by women workers, GATWU was established in Bangalore. As one of three local garment unions in Bangalore's export-garment cluster, GATWU advocates for workers' rights, fair wages, improved working conditions, and social security. It focuses on women workers, promoting gender equity and protection against harassment and exploitation. GATWU also empowers women workers through leadership development and active participation in union activities.
Amarjeet Kaur - All India Trade Union Congress
Amarjeet Kaur, the first woman General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), is a trailblazing leader in India's labor movement. Born into a politically conscious Sikh family, her activism began as a student leader during the Emergency and evolved into decades-long advocacy for workers, farmers, and marginalized communities. Her tenure at AITUC has been marked by campaigns on minimum wages, gig workers' rights, public sector protections, and informal sector inclusion, while also addressing unique challenges faced by working-class women.
Amarjeet served as the National Secretary of AITUC from 1994 to 2017 before becoming General Secretary. She has also been the General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) and the All India Students Federation (AISF). She believes inner strength and self-confidence are the most powerful gifts women possess, and as a leader, she aims to instill these qualities among women, envisioning a world of gender equality and sensitivity.
Beena Pallical - General Secretary of Dalit Arthik Adhikar Andolan
Beena Pallical is a dedicated human rights activist and the General Secretary of Dalit Arthik Andolan (DAAA), a key initiative under the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR). She focuses on advocating Dalit economic rights and gender equity, emphasizing the empowerment of Dalit women. Beena has been a former corporate executive who dedicated over a decade to advocating for policy reforms for the Dalit women, budget rights training, and government entitlements, highlighting caste and gender discrimination on national and international platforms.
