Women movement MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Women movement - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - Margaret Cousins

Key Points

• Margaret Cousins
  • Margaret Cousins was a prominent Irish suffragist and a social reformer who played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of women in India.
  • She co-founded the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) in 1927, which became a leading platform for promoting women’s education, rights, and social reforms.
  • As a visionary leader, Margaret Cousins worked towards empowering Indian women to achieve equality and independence.
  • Her efforts were instrumental in mobilizing women across India to participate in the political, social, and educational spheres.

Additional Information

• All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)
  • Established in 1927, AIWC is one of the oldest women’s organizations in India.
  • It was founded to address issues like women’s education, child marriage, and gender equality.
  • Over the decades, AIWC has contributed significantly to policy changes and legislative reforms in favor of women’s rights.
• Other Prominent Women Leaders in the Movement
  • Durga Bai Deshmukh: An Indian freedom fighter and social reformer, she worked towards women’s welfare but was not directly involved in founding AIWC.
  • Madam Cama: Known for her role in the Indian independence movement, she advocated for women's rights but was not associated with AIWC.
  • Mutthulaxmi Reddy: A social reformer and the first woman legislator in British India; she contributed to women’s welfare but did not found AIWC.

The correct answer is - D.K. Karve

Key Points

• D.K. Karve
  • Known as Maharshi Karve, he was a prominent social reformer and educationist in India.
  • He opened a Widow Home in Pune to provide shelter and support to widows, who were often ostracized in traditional society.
  • He formed the Widow Remarriage Association to promote the remarriage of widows, challenging societal norms.
  • In 1893, he set an example by marrying a widow, defying traditional customs and advocating equality.
  • In 1916, he founded the Women’s University in Bombay (now SNDT Women’s University) to empower women through education.

Additional Information

• Social Reforms by D.K. Karve
  • He was inspired by the teachings of reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and sought to challenge oppressive practices against women.
  • The Women’s University was the first of its kind in India, aimed at providing higher education exclusively for women.
  • He advocated for gender equality and worked extensively to improve the status of women in society.
• Contemporary Reformers
  • M.G. Ranade - A prominent social reformer who worked for widow remarriage but did not open a widow home or establish a women’s university.
  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak - A freedom fighter and nationalist, but his focus was on political reforms rather than social reforms for women.
  • G.V. Joshi - An educationist and reformer but not associated with widow remarriage or women’s education to the extent of D.K. Karve.
• Impact of Karve’s Work
  • His initiatives laid the foundation for women’s empowerment in modern India.
  • He received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1958 for his contributions to society.

Jyoti Rao Phule has written the book named 'Gulamgiri'. Important Points

•  Jyoti Rao Phule also known as Jyoti Rao Govind Rao Phule or Mahatma Phule. Jyoti Rao Phule was born on 11 April 1827.
•  He was an Indian social activist as well as a writer. He developed his own ideas about the injustices of caste society.
• Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj (truth-seeker society), on 24 September 1873.
• In 1873, Phule wrote a book named Gulamgiri, meaning slavery.
• The American Civil War had been fought, leading to the end of slavery in America. Phule dedicated his book to all those Americans who had fought to free slaves.
• He linked the condition of the blacks with the condition of the lower castes in India.

The Correct Answer is Education of women.

• Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer.
• She is known to be India's first female teacher. Together with her partner, Jyotirao Phule, she played an important role in improving women's rights in India.
• She is considered to be the mother of Indian Feminism. Phule and her husband founded one of the first Indian girl's schools in Pune, Bhide Wada, in 1848.
• She sought to eradicate injustice and unequal treatment of people on the grounds of caste and gender.
• It is considered to be an influential figure in the social change movement in Maharashtra.

Additional Information

• Savitribai Phule published Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892, as well as a poem entitled "Go, Get Education" in which she urged those who were marginalised to free themselves from education.
• In 2015, in her honour, the University of Pune was renamed Savitribai Phule Pune University.
• On 3 January 2017, the Google search engine celebrated the 186th anniversary of the birth of Savitribai Phule with a Google Doodle. 

The Correct Answer is Education of women.

• Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer.
• She is known to be India's first female teacher. Together with her partner, Jyotirao Phule, she played an important role in improving women's rights in India.
• She is considered to be the mother of Indian Feminism. Phule and her husband founded one of the first Indian girl's schools in Pune, Bhide Wada, in 1848.
• She sought to eradicate injustice and unequal treatment of people on the grounds of caste and gender.
• It is considered to be an influential figure in the social change movement in Maharashtra.

Additional Information

• Savitribai Phule published Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892, as well as a poem entitled "Go, Get Education" in which she urged those who were marginalised to free themselves from education.
• In 2015, in her honour, the University of Pune was renamed Savitribai Phule Pune University.
• On 3 January 2017, the Google search engine celebrated the 186th anniversary of the birth of Savitribai Phule with a Google Doodle. 

The correct answer is Annie Besant.

Key Points

• Indian Women's Association is India's first major feminist organization, which remains in operation today.
  • It was founded at Adayar, Madras in 1917.
  • It was founded by  Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Jeena Raja Dasa.
  • Annie Besant was appointed as the first president of 'Indian Women's Association'.
  • "Stri Dharma" was the journal published by 'Indian Women's Association.

Important Points 

• Annie Besant was a women's rights activist and philanthropist.
  •     She is one of the founders of the Banaras Hindu University.
  • New India was a daily newspaper published in India by Annie Besant.
  • She was the first woman President of the Indian National Congress.

    Additional Information 

• Sarojini Naidu was the first female to become the governor of an Indian state.
  • She appointed as the governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1947 to 1949.
  • She is well known as 'Nightingale of India'.
  • She was appointed as the President of the Indian National Congress's Kanpur session in 1925.
• Madam Blavatsky was a Russian philosopher.
  • She co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875.
• Aruna Asaf Ali was an active participant in the Indian independence movement.
  • She is popularly called the "heroine of the Quit India movement".

The correct answer is Promote women's education.

Key Points b

• The All India Women's Conference(AIWC) was started in 1927.
  • It is a non-governmental organisation based in Delhi.
  • It was started to promote women's education.
  • Founded by Margaret Cousins.
  • The all India women's conference is considered the oldest women's groups in India.
  • It has branches throughout the country.
  • The first meeting of AIWC was held in Pune.
  • Maharani Chimnabai was appointed as the first president of the All India women's conference.
  • Roshni is the journal associated with the all India women's conference.

The correct answer is Garhwal Himalayas.

Key Points

• Chipko movement
  • The Chipko movement was initiated by Garhwal Himalayas.
  • The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan was a forest conservation agitation in India.
  • It began in 1973 in Uttarakhand, then a portion of Uttar Pradesh, and went on to become a rallying point for environmental movements all over the world.
  • It made a precedent for starting nonviolent protests in India.
  • Slogan - "Ecology is the permanent economy."

Jyoti Rao Phule has written the book named 'Gulamgiri'. Important Points

•  Jyoti Rao Phule also known as Jyoti Rao Govind Rao Phule or Mahatma Phule. Jyoti Rao Phule was born on 11 April 1827.
•  He was an Indian social activist as well as a writer. He developed his own ideas about the injustices of caste society.
• Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj (truth-seeker society), on 24 September 1873.
• In 1873, Phule wrote a book named Gulamgiri, meaning slavery.
• The American Civil War had been fought, leading to the end of slavery in America. Phule dedicated his book to all those Americans who had fought to free slaves.
• He linked the condition of the blacks with the condition of the lower castes in India.

The correct answer is Savitri Bai Phule.

Key Points

• Savitri Bai Phule was an Indian social reformer, educationist and poetess from Maharashtra.
• She was the first woman teacher in India in 1848.
• She was a trailblazer in providing education for girls and for ostracized portions of society.
• She opened a school for girls with her husband, Jyotirao Phule.
• They found one of the first modern Indian girls' schools in Pune at Bhide Wada.
• Savitribai Phule even worked to abolish discrimination and unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender.

 Thus, we can say that the first woman teacher in India was Savitri Bai Phule.

Key Points

• The All-India Women's Conference was founded in 1926.
• Indian reformers debated not just in public meetings but through public media like newspapers and journals.
• Translations of writings of social reformers from one Indian language to another took place. Within India, social reformers from Punjab and Bengal exchanged ideas with reformers from Madras and Maharashtra. 
• Keshav Chandra Sen of Bengal visited Madras in 1864. 
• Pandita Ramabai traveled to different corners of the country.
• Modern social organizations like the Brahmo Samaj in Bengal and Arya Samaj in Punjab were set up.

Important Points

• ​All India Women's Conference:
  • All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), organization dedicated to improving women’s education and social welfare in India.
  • The idea for the AIWC emerged in 1926, at the suggestion of Irish-born theosophist and feminist Margaret Cousins.
  • Nearly a decade earlier, in 1917, Cousins had helped establish the Women’s Indian Association in Madras, one of India’s first feminist groups. Multiple such associations were subsequently established in India.
  • In 1926, concerned about issues in women’s education in India, Cousins wrote an appeal to members of women’s associations across the country, calling on them to meet and outline their thoughts regarding educational reform and to select a representative to attend a special conference in Poona.
  • In January 1927 the delegates from the regional meetings gathered in Poona at the first official meeting of the AIWC.
  • The initial conference and the participation of women from a range of communities and backgrounds signified an important chapter in the development of the women’s movement in India.
  • At the first conference, a number of resolutions were adopted, including those aimed at enriching the content of primary education, vocational training, and collegiate-level programs.
  • The AIWC subsequently expanded the scope of its work to include a social reform agenda.
  • Members of the organization became actively involved in legislative advocacy aimed at ending the practice of child marriage and securing women’s rights to divorce and inheritance.
  • The group also participated in efforts to improve women’s working conditions and to secure women’s right to vote. Several members of the AIWC participated in the framing of the constitution following India’s independence.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Point

• Rakhmabai Case (1884):
  • The case involved Rakhmabai, who was a young Indian woman who challenged the legal system regarding her rights in marriage.
  • The case became significant in the context of women's rights and social reform in India.
• Age of Consent:
  • The case highlighted issues related to the age of consent, as Rakhmabai was married at a very young age and had not yet reached the legal age of consent for sexual relations.
  • This was a crucial aspect of the case that drew attention to the need for legal reforms regarding marriage and consent.
• Restitution of Conjugal Rights:
  • The case also revolved around the husband’s petition for restitution of conjugal rights, which was a legal provision allowing a husband to seek the return of his wife to the marital home.
• Women's Right to Education:
  • While Rakhmabai's case had broader implications for women's rights, particularly in the context of education, the specific legal proceedings primarily focused on the age of consent and the rights related to marriage.
• Thus, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 is primarily associated with option 2: age of consent and restitution of conjugal rights.

The correct answer is Chitrakoot.

Key Points

• Khabar Lahriya is a local newspaper in India.
• It was started in 2002.
• It was initiated by a group of women from the Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh.
• The newspaper is published in various dialects which include Bundeli, Avadhi and Bajjika dialects.

 Thus, we can say that a fortnightly newspaper, "Khabar Lahriya", run by a group of women was initiated from Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh.

The correct answer is option 3, i.e Sarala Devi Chaudhurani.

• Bharat Stree Mahamandal (the Large Circle of Indian Women) was the first all India women’s association.
• It was set up in 1910 by Sarala Devi Chaudhurani.
• The centre was formed in Lahore in November 1910 at a personal meeting of women.
• It was decided to hold the opening meeting in Allahabad in December 1910 when many from different parts of India were expected to assemble there for the Congress session.
• The most important feature of the inaugural session of the Bharat Stree Mahamandal:
  • it was presided over by Her Highness the Begum Sahiba of Janjira, a Muslim woman, and
  • was graced by the presence of Her Highness the Nawab Begum of Bhopal, the only ruling princes of India and a Muslim woman as well.
• The objective of Bharat Stree Mahamandal was the creation of an organization by means of which women of every race, creed, class and party in India may be brought together on the basis of their common interest in the moral and material progress of women in India; and in and through which organization they may work in association and in a spirit of mutual helpfulness for the progress of humanity that through her sex.

The correct answer is Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel

Key PointsHistory of Patna Women’s College

• The college is conducted by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, an indigenous educational body founded in 1870, and thus has a wide and long experience.
• Patna Women’s College was founded in 1940 by Bishop B.J. Sullivan, S.J., Bishop of Patna and Mother M. Josephine A.C. Superior General of the Apostolic Carmel.
  •  It has courses up to the degree level and two postgraduate departments – Home Science and MCA.
• It was the first women’s college in Bihar as the pioneer of women’s higher education in the state. The college is open to students of all castes and creeds.
• Though it became a constituent college of Patna University, in 1952.