Indian Women Freedom Fighters: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

  • Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900 -1990) was the sister of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and a well known Indian diplomat and politician.
  • She was the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post. In 1937 she was elected to the provincial legislature of the United Provinces and was designated minister of local self-government and public health.
  • After Indian Independence she ntered the diplomatic service and became India's ambassador to the Soviet Union United States,Mexico Ireland and Spain.
  • She also headed the Indian delegation to the United Nations in between 1946 to 1968.
  • Coming back in India,she served as governor of Maharashtra from 1962 to 1964, after which she was elected to the Indian Lok Sabha from Phulpur and held office from 1964 to 1968.
  • She wrote two books - The Evolution of India (1958) and The Scope of Happiness: A Personal Memoir (1979).
  • In 1953, she became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly.

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