Saroj Nalini Dutt

Saroj Nalini Dutt, MBE, (1887-1925) was a feminist, social reformer, and founder of the Women’s Institute Movement in India.

Background
Saroj Nalini was born in her father’s country house in Bandel, near Hooghly, in Bengal. Her father, Brajendranath De, Esq., was the 8th Indian to become a member of the Indian Civil Service and her mother was Nagendra Nandini. She was brought up with her brothers and sisters and shared with them an education under a tutor and a governess. She was married to Gurusaday Dutt, Esq., the renowned ICS officer. They had one son called Birendrasaday Dutt, Esq.

Work
Saroj Nalini was a well known social reformer, educationist and a pioneer of the movement for the upliftment of women in Bengal. C.F.Andrews wrote about her: 'Her name had become intimately associated with the Women’s Movement, and her glowing inspiration as one who stood out for women’s freedom was felt throughout the whole of the Bengal Presidency'. She took great efforts to meet the zenana ladies of the various sub-divisional and district headquarters in Bengal and Bihar, where her husband was posted, and discussed the problems of the purdah system with them. She also took the lead in introducing the charka (spinning wheel) in village homes. She reorganized the local girls’ school in Birbhum which was called ‘Sir Rivers Thompson School’. She participated in the work of the local Mahila Samities and encouraged their organizers and members to improve the level of teaching in the girl’s schools in the districts. She also set up the Mahila Samities of Pabna and Birbhum.

Positions Held
She became the Secretary of the Indian Section of the Calcutta League of Women’s Workers (later Bengal Presidency Council of Women), Member of the Council of the Nari Siksha Samiti (Women’s Educational League), and Member of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation’s committee which was to make suitable arrangements for allowing women to elect councillors. She was also the Vice President of the Sylhet Union, an association set up for the promotion of female education in the district of Sylhet. For her contribution to the cause of the upliftment of women in Bengal she was awarded an MBE by the government.