Against the Dominant Discourse: Ideas of V. Saraswati, a Forgotten Feminist in Colonial Andhra

The social reform movement initiated by male intellectuals in nineteenthcentury Andhra had a positive impact on women. It led to the emergence of a women’s movement in colonial Andhra from the dawn of the twentieth century. Women became conscious of their dismal position in society and attempted to ameliorate the same. They formed women’s associations, organised local and state-level conferences (Basha 2012), established schools for girls and, most importantly, started women’s journals through which they undertook a sustained campaign for women’s development.