In the end of 19th century, women in India suffered disabilities like Child Marriage, Polygyny, sales of girls for marriage, restrictions on widow remarriage & girl education etc. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who was the founder of Brahmo Samaj (1828), launched a movement in 1856 for the rights of widow remarriage and also promoted women education. Raja Ram Mohan Roy launched several movements to abolish Sati Pratha which led the British Government in 1829 to declare the practice of Sati System as a punishable offence. Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwar, the ruler of Baroda state worked for abolition of social evils such as Child Marriages and Polygyny. Many other social reformers like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Rani Laxmi Bai, Anne Besant and many more promoted social and political rights of women.

Some women organisations such as Banga Mahila Samaj and the Ladies Theosophical Society fought for the modern ideas and rights of the women at local level. But the pioneering work was done by those organization which functioned at national level. Eg. Bharat Mahila Parishad, Bharat Stree Mahila Mandal, Women’s Indian Association etc. These organizations spread awareness and reforms for Women Education, Women Empowerment, Social Welfare of Women, Hindu Laws reforms etc.