The Rotary Club in the 1960s
Working in the capital
R. Leela, at work in the Indonesian embassy in New Delhi, 1950s (photo courtesy R. Shyamala)
Seva Dal volunteers
Rashtriya Seva Dal volunteers, Queen Mary's College circa 1947, Madras Presidency. Lady Dhanvantari Rama Rao with K.N. Lalitha, R. Vasantha, K.N. Pramila and others. (Rashtriya Seva Dal was the service wing of the Indian National Congress during the independence movement) (photo courtesy R. Shyamala)
All-India Youth Festival, 1954
R. Vijaya, representative of Rajputana University, Udaipur, at the very first All-India Youth Festival, New Delhi, 1954 (photo courtesy R. Shyamala)
Freedom fighter and social activist
S. Manjubhashini was active in the Indian freedom movement. Family stories abound about her deep commitment to the Swadeshi movement and the neighbourhood bonfires of British goods that she organized. She also founded Bala Mandir in 1948, one of the first orphanages of independent India.
The very first Maldivian first lady
The late Fathimath Saeed, the 1st first lady of the Maldives (wife of Amin Didi), 1984. Photo contributed by her grand daughter Farah Faizal.
The earliest first ladies of the Maldives
Mariyam Saeed and Fathimath Saeed, circa 1940s (sisters and former first ladies of the Maldives). Fathimath Saeed was married to the 1st President and was the first first lady. Mariyam Saeed was married to Ibrahim Nasir who later became the 2nd President of the Maldives. Both are sisters. Photo contributed by Fathimath Saeed's grand daughter... Continue Reading →
Students in a march, 1940s
Queen Mary's College students in a march, Madras Presidency, 1940s. Contributor: R. Vasantha
Women’s movement for peace
Women's peace rally, 2002 in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots. Contributor: Vibhuti Patel
Women’s Day rally
Vibhuti Patel addressing a rally on March 8, 1980
“Daughter of Maharashtra”
Dr. Vibhuti Patel conferring the Daughter of Maharashtra Award on ms. Manisha Gupte, Director, MASUM, at the Naari Samata Manch, Pune, 5 April, 2009.
Delegate at the United Nations
R. Lalitha, delegate at the United Nations, 1960s
Freedom front
R. Vasantha and Kamaraj, New Delhi, early 1960s?
Guard of Honour at the All-India Women's conference
R. Shyamala, A.V Lakshmi, E.R. Leela, N. Parameshwaran, R. Susheila, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, P. Swaminathan, N. Padma. (photo courtesy R. Vasantha)
Indian National Congress delegates
Delegates at the Indian National Congress, Jaipur session, December 1948. R. Vasantha, K. N. Lalitha, E.R. Leela and others at the Indian National Congress, Jaipur Session, December 1948 (photo courtesy R. Vasantha)
Teaching children in Madras
R. Vasantha, first from left, seen here with Prime Minister Nehru at Ashok Vihar Social Service Centre, Madras, 1949. In this photo:Â R. Vasantha, Jawaharlal Nehru, Madras Mayor Krishna Rao, Indira Gandhi, Dr. Sambandham, Dr. Jayalakshmi (photo courtesy R. Vasantha). She is also a writer and poet.
‘Daughter is not for slaughter’
Panel on declining sex ratio at World Social Forum, 2004. Contributor: Vibhuti Patel.
Sakti workshop on women and empowerment
C.P Sujaya releasing a book on discourse on women and empowerment, edited by Vibhuti Patel, at the Sakthi workshop, Bangalore, 2009. Contributor: Vibhuti Patel
Writing on women and law
Dr. Vibhuti Patel releasing a book on women and law, at the silver jubilee function, Naari Samata Manch, Pune, 2009. Contributor, Vibhuti Patel.
Gender policy budgeters and planners
Training women elected representatives for gender budget planning, Ahmedabad 2003.
Women’s empowerment – roundtable, 2003
Organised by Maharashtra State Commission of Women and University of Mumbai, 28-29 November 2003. Contributed by Vibhuti Patel.
Peace activists
Peace rally in solidarity with survivors of communal carnage in Gujarat, 2002. Contributor: Vibhuti Patel
'Public life'
'Public life' refers to a range of practices with public goals (social, political and economic), involving participation in activities that are firmly situated in public spaces. Activities in institutions like schools, hospitals, theatres, places of worship, the civil service and government, to name a few, constitute public life. The archives are open to receiving old... Continue Reading →
Collection categories
Our collection includes and invites photos from the following countries:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The women in our images participate in public life as: manual professionals, entrepreneurs, factory-workers, performers, missionaries, civil servants, activists, politicians, social workers, students, teachers and others.
Politics, Women and Security The Prajnya Resource Centre on Women In Politics And Policy  has as its goal the creation of a comprehensive, continually updated, publicly accessible resource centre on the participation of women in the politics and policy structures of South Asia. Prajnya Archives is an extension of this resource, with a shift of emphasis... Continue Reading →