Women's History Month - Indira Gandhi
Mar. 9th, 2011 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vivienWhen I was a kid, Indira Gandhi was the leader of a large country and it didn't seem to be a big deal. To my little self, anyway, who wasn't bombarded with Internet and 24-hour news. No one asked her what designer she was wearing, that I can recall. She was assassinated when I was a teenager, and I was truly shocked and saddened. I really admired her, because she was a woman, and her job was to run a country, and that was that.
For http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/igandhi.html:
Indira Nehru Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and would be the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. Being influenced and inspired by her parents, Indira Gandhi rose to power in India and eventually became prime minister. She dedicated her life to progress in her country despite the overwhelming problems and challenges she encountered.
After Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's death in 1966, Indira Gandhi served as prime minister until India held the next election. She won that election, and in 1967, became one of the first women ever elected to lead a democracy. In 1971, Gandhi was re-elected by campaigning with the slogan "Abolish Poverty."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi:
Being the first woman Prime Minister of India, and an influential leader, in a prevalently male-dominated society, Indira Gandhi is a symbol of feminism in India. As per economic surveys, when Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister, 65% of the country's population was below the poverty line, and when her regime ended in 1984, this figure was 45%. During her rule, food production increased by 250%. Literacy also increased in India by 30%.
While she was not perfect and she definitely had some controversial things occur during her administrations, she was a woman in power who got stuff done.
For http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/igandhi.html:
Indira Nehru Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and would be the only child of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru. Being influenced and inspired by her parents, Indira Gandhi rose to power in India and eventually became prime minister. She dedicated her life to progress in her country despite the overwhelming problems and challenges she encountered.
After Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's death in 1966, Indira Gandhi served as prime minister until India held the next election. She won that election, and in 1967, became one of the first women ever elected to lead a democracy. In 1971, Gandhi was re-elected by campaigning with the slogan "Abolish Poverty."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi:
Being the first woman Prime Minister of India, and an influential leader, in a prevalently male-dominated society, Indira Gandhi is a symbol of feminism in India. As per economic surveys, when Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister, 65% of the country's population was below the poverty line, and when her regime ended in 1984, this figure was 45%. During her rule, food production increased by 250%. Literacy also increased in India by 30%.
While she was not perfect and she definitely had some controversial things occur during her administrations, she was a woman in power who got stuff done.