All India Women's Conference
An Indian nongovernmental organization founded in 1927 to advance women's and children's education, social welfare, and women's rights.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The All India Women's Conference (AIWC) is an Indian nongovernmental organization headquartered in Delhi and regarded as the country's oldest nationwide women's rights organization. Founded in 1927 in Pune, it began principally as an effort to improve education for women and children, but soon broadened its work to address the legal, social, economic, and political conditions that limited women's lives. Its activities have included advocacy for reforms concerning child marriage, women's voting rights, divorce, inheritance, and other questions of legal equality. The organization emerged from an initiative by Irish theosophist, educator, and women's-rights activist Margaret Cousins. In late 1925, Cousins contacted women's organizations and individual women about creating a national body focused on women's education. The inaugural gathering in Pune attracted approximately 2,000 attendees and was held at Fergusson College Hall. Amrit Kaur was among the founding members, while Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay served as one of the early secretaries. The breadth of participation gave AIWC a national orientation from the outset, although its work was initially concentrated on education and social welfare. AIWC quickly recognized that educational progress was closely connected to discriminatory customs and inadequate legal protections. From 1928, it raised funds for the Lady Irwin College of Domestic Science and organized advocacy around the Child Marriage Bill. Its members monitored legislative developments and lobbied political leaders. The organization also supported campaigns connected with women's suffrage and legal rights relating to divorce and inheritance. AIWC's public role developed during the late colonial period and the transition to independence, when some more radical members departed to participate in nationalist activism. In 1948, the organization expelled members associated with Communist groups, reflecting the political tensions of the period. AIWC was formally registered in 1930 under section XXI of India's Societies Registration Act of 1860. A central office was established in 1946, and the organization also created a village medical-support initiative through the Skippo Committee that year. In 1941, it launched Roshni, a journal published in both English and Hindi, providing a platform for public education and discussion of women's issues. Through these institutional developments, AIWC combined voluntary association, policy advocacy, communications, and practical community programs. Education remains a central part of its work. In 1996, AIWC intensified literacy activities through non-formal education for school dropouts and adult-women literacy programs linked with craft training. Its broader program areas have included rural women's microcredit, employment assistance, health initiatives, trafficking prevention, and energy-related projects. The organization has also trained rural women to use solar dryers for more hygienic food preservation. Through branches across India, it has continued to connect national advocacy with local social-welfare and livelihood activities. AIWC is a member of the International Alliance of Women. It is best understood not as a commercial brand but as a long-running civil-society institution whose identity rests on nationwide women's organizing, educational advancement, legal reform, and community development.
History
The All India Women's Conference was created in 1927 in Pune as a national organization devoted to women's and children's education and social welfare. Its origins lay in Margaret Cousins's late-1925 appeal to women's groups and other contacts to develop a coordinated educational initiative. The founding meeting, held at Fergusson College Hall, drew around 2,000 people. Amrit Kaur was a founding member, and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was among the early secretaries. AIWC's early experience led it to conclude that education could not be separated from social customs and legal inequality. In 1928 it raised funds for the Lady Irwin College of Domestic Science and formed a committee to monitor the Child Marriage Bill. Its advocacy expanded to questions including women's right to vote, divorce, and inheritance. The organization therefore developed from an educational body into a national women's-rights institution capable of lobbying legislators and engaging with public policy. The organization was registered in 1930 under section XXI of the Societies Registration Act of 1860. It launched the bilingual journal Roshni in 1941. A central office was established in 1946, the same year that the Skippo Committee was formed to support medical treatment in villages. During India's independence struggle, some of AIWC's more radical members left to join nationalist activism. In 1948, AIWC expelled members associated with Communist groups, an indication of the political divisions affecting voluntary organizations in the early post-independence period. Education remained a long-term priority. In 1996, AIWC expanded non-formal education for school dropouts and adult women's literacy, combining literacy instruction with craft training through its branches. Its later activities also included microcredit, employment support, rural energy development, health work, trafficking prevention, and practical training such as the use of solar dryers for hygienic food storage. With branches across India and membership in the International Alliance of Women, AIWC has maintained a model that links national advocacy with local service delivery and women's economic and social empowerment.
- 1996
Literacy and non-formal education programs intensified
[1]AIWC expanded literacy programs for adult women and school dropouts, incorporating craft training through its branch network.
- 1946
Central office and rural medical initiative established
[1]AIWC opened a central office and created the Skippo Committee to assist village medical treatment.
- 1941
Roshni journal established
[1]AIWC launched a journal published in both English and Hindi.
- 1930
Formal registration under the Societies Registration Act
[1]AIWC was registered under section XXI of the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
- 1928
Education and child-marriage advocacy expand
[1]AIWC began fundraising for Lady Irwin College of Domestic Science and organized legislative monitoring and advocacy concerning child marriage.
- 1927
All India Women's Conference founded in Pune
[1]The inaugural conference established AIWC as a nationwide women's organization with an initial emphasis on education and social welfare.
- 1925
Cousins proposes a national women's education organization
[1]Margaret Cousins began soliciting support from women's groups and individuals for a national body focused on women's education.
Products and positioning
A national Indian women's organization combining rights advocacy with education, social welfare, rural development, and community-level programs.
Journal · 1941
Roshni
A bilingual AIWC journal established in 1941 and published in English and Hindi. It served as an organizational publication and a channel for education, public discussion, and communication about women's issues.
Education program · 1996
Women's literacy and non-formal education
Branch-based education initiatives for adult women and school dropouts. The programs were expanded in 1996 and combined literacy instruction with craft training intended to support practical skills and livelihoods.
Economic empowerment program
Rural livelihood and microcredit programs
AIWC's rural work includes microcredit, employment assistance, craft development, and related activities intended to improve women's economic opportunities and household resilience.
Social welfare program
Community health and anti-trafficking initiatives
A range of social-welfare activities addressing health, village services, and prevention of human trafficking. These programs extend AIWC's work beyond policy advocacy into community support.
Marketing campaigns
- 1996Adult literacy and non-formal education campaign
India
AIWC intensified non-formal education for school dropouts and literacy programs for adult women, pairing instruction with craft training through its branches.
Outcome. The initiative broadened AIWC's education work from formal advocacy toward branch-level adult learning and livelihood support.
- 1928Child Marriage Bill advocacy
India
AIWC formed a committee to monitor progress on the Child Marriage Bill and lobbied politicians concerning child marriage and related social customs.
Outcome. The campaign established child marriage and legal reform as central elements of AIWC's early women's-rights agenda; the supplied material does not specify a distinct campaign result.
- 1928Women's legal and political rights advocacy
India
The organization advocated for women's rights relating to divorce, inheritance, and voting, arguing that education required broader legal and political equality.
Outcome. AIWC became a continuing national lobbying organization for legislation affecting women; no single final outcome is identified in the supplied material.
Brand decisions
1948
Expulsion of members associated with Communist groupsStrategyBackground
Political divisions within the organization intensified during the early post-independence period.
Action taken
AIWC expelled members associated with Communist groups.
Aftermath
The decision reflected the political tensions affecting AIWC after independence; the supplied material does not provide further organizational consequences.
Recent events
- 1996
AIWC intensifies literacy and craft-training programs[1]
Other
The organization expanded non-formal education for school dropouts and adult women's literacy programs linked with craft training through its branches.
- 1946
AIWC establishes a central office and village medical initiative[1]
Other
A central office was created, and the Skippo Committee was formed to help provide medical treatment in villages.
- 1941
AIWC launches Roshni journal[1]
Product launch
AIWC established Roshni, a journal published in English and Hindi to support its communications and educational work.
- 1930
AIWC receives formal society registration[1]
Regulation
The organization was registered under section XXI of the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
- 1928
AIWC broadens its agenda to legal and social reform[1]
Regulation · Other
The organization began fundraising for Lady Irwin College of Domestic Science and took a public role in monitoring and advocating around the Child Marriage Bill and related women's-rights questions.
- 1927
AIWC is founded in Pune[1]
Other
The first national gathering that created the All India Women's Conference was held in Pune, with roughly 2,000 attendees and an initial focus on women's and children's education.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/all-india-womens-conference · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled