Justice Anna Chandy was a feminist, advocate of women’s rights, lawyer and a judge. She was the first woman to become a judge in India. She was also the first woman to become a High Court judge in India. She was the second woman in the British empire and the first woman amongst all the  Commonwealth nations to become a judge. Often described as a first-generation feminist, she is also the first woman in the state of Kerala to attain a law degree. She was also the publisher of the first women’s magazine in Malayalam. Justice Anna Chandy, also known as Anna Chandy, was a Syrian Christian, born on 4 May 1905 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She was a stubborn child in her childhood days. After completing her schooling, she decided to pursue her post-graduation by obtaining a degree in law. Despite opposition from her family, she enrolled for the law course at the Government Law College in Kerala in 1927.

Journey

In 1929, she completed her law degree with distinction and started practicing as a barrister. She became the first woman in her state to get a law degree. While she practiced law, she also fought for women’s rights and was responsible for the abolition of the statute that prevented women from working in government jobs. She founded and edited the magazine, Shrimati, in which she pushed forward conversations on women’s freedom and the concept of widow remarriage. In 1930, she stood in the elections. The person who stood against her in the election tried to demean her character and as a result, she lost. In 1931, she stood again and won this time. She was also an ardent believer of equality and had questioned the letter of the law pertaining to women not being given death penalty in India. In 1937, Chandy was appointed as the first female Munsif or the lowest level judicial officer by the then Dewan of Travancore state, Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer. In 1948, she was promoted to the position of District Judge. Following the merger of Travancore and Cochin States with Malabar to form Kerala, Chandy was appointed as a High Court Judge, making her the first woman to be appointed to that post in India. In 1967, after retiring, she joined the Law Commission of India. She published her autobiography, ‘Atmakatha’, in 1973 and died at the age of 91, in 1996.

An Inspiration

Justice Anna Chandy was among the first real torchbearers of feminism in the post-industrial era in India. Throughout her career as a barrister and later on, as a judge, she pushed against the forces of conservatism such as sexism, patriarchy, etc. Justice Chandy is a shining light in the history books teaching us the importance of women in positions of power. She also believed that women should get equal wages and ample employment opportunities. She was always vocal about her stance against misogyny and patriarchy. Her strong feministic thought process was reflected in her professional life too. While adjudging a case, she said “From the elaborate petition, it is clear that the plaintiff’s immediate demand is to ban all efforts by women to gain employment, on the grounds that they are a bunch of creatures created for the domestic pleasures of men, and that their lives outside the hallowed kitchen-temples will harm familial happiness.” As a first generation feminist, severe resistance from almost all parts of her life did not stop her from breaking barriers.