This is a photograph of Muslim League activists in Lahore led by Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, the first female member of the All India Muslim League.
Jahanara Shahnawaz was born to Sir Muhammad Shafi in 1896 and she married Mian Shah Nawaz in 1911. She studied at Queen Mary College.
In 1918, she successfully moved the All India Muslim Women's Conference to pass a resolution against polygamy. In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women's Muslim League. In the Round Table Conference of 1930, she and Radhabai Subbarayan were the only two active members of women's organisations nominated to the conference; they argued unsuccessfully for a five per cent reservation for women in the legislatures.
In 1937, she was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was appointed as parliamentary secretary for education, medical relief and public health. In 1938, she became a member of the Women's Central Subcommittee of the All India Muslim League. In 1942, India's government appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council, but the Muslim League asked League members to resign from the Defense Council.
She refused and was removed from the Muslim League. However, she re-joined the League in 1946, and in that same year was elected to the Central Constituent Assembly. That year she also went along with M. A. H. Isphahani on a goodwill mission to America, to explain the point of view of the Muslim League. She was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders during the civil disobedience movement in Punjab in 1947.
In 1948 she led a protest of thousands of women in the streets of Lahore, demanding better economic opportunities for women. Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan intervened, and the Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948 was passed; it recognised a woman's right to inherit property.
She was also associated with education committees and orphanages of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam in Lahore. She was also a member of the All Indian General Committee of the Red Cross Society.
She wrote a novel titled Husn Ara Begum and her memoirs titled Father and Daughter: A Political Autobiography.
Jahanara Shahnawaz was born to Sir Muhammad Shafi in 1896 and she married Mian Shah Nawaz in 1911. She studied at Queen Mary College.
In 1918, she successfully moved the All India Muslim Women's Conference to pass a resolution against polygamy. In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women's Muslim League. In the Round Table Conference of 1930, she and Radhabai Subbarayan were the only two active members of women's organisations nominated to the conference; they argued unsuccessfully for a five per cent reservation for women in the legislatures.
In 1937, she was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was appointed as parliamentary secretary for education, medical relief and public health. In 1938, she became a member of the Women's Central Subcommittee of the All India Muslim League. In 1942, India's government appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council, but the Muslim League asked League members to resign from the Defense Council.
She refused and was removed from the Muslim League. However, she re-joined the League in 1946, and in that same year was elected to the Central Constituent Assembly. That year she also went along with M. A. H. Isphahani on a goodwill mission to America, to explain the point of view of the Muslim League. She was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders during the civil disobedience movement in Punjab in 1947.
In 1948 she led a protest of thousands of women in the streets of Lahore, demanding better economic opportunities for women. Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan intervened, and the Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948 was passed; it recognised a woman's right to inherit property.
She was also associated with education committees and orphanages of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam in Lahore. She was also a member of the All Indian General Committee of the Red Cross Society.
She wrote a novel titled Husn Ara Begum and her memoirs titled Father and Daughter: A Political Autobiography.