Anna Chandy: the one who stood tall in court

A feminist, the founder-editor of a magazine, and most importantly, the first-ever female judge in the history of the Indian judiciary. This is the story of Anna Chandy.

A fierce advocate of women’s rights and equality, Anna Chandy was born in Travancore, Kerala, in 1905. She was raised by the women of her family due to the death of her father at an early age. Perhaps that is what made her ideas and thoughts on equality modern and quite ahead of her time.

Anna became one of the first women to earn a law degree, shattering all the stereotypical norms that society was functioning on at that time.

This was during the reign of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of the Travancore state, who gave women’s education great importance. It was during her time that women were allowed to enrol in the Government Law Colleges, which was what led Chandy to enrol for a postgraduate law degree. She then graduated with a distinction in 1926.

In 1929, she joined the bar and 20 years later, she became a district judge, and 10 years after that, she was appointed to the Kerala High Court as a judge. And just like that, the glass ceiling was shattered and India got its first female judge.

Pioneer of rights

Chandy, known for being among the first-generation feminists of Kerala, was vocal about women’s rights, not just in politics and legal spheres but also in social and economic circles. A major outlet for the same was her publication, Shrimati, which she had founded in 1930.

As its editor, she ensured that, along with articles about health, home management, and household industries, the magazine also focused on women’s freedom and widow remarriage. Chandy also promoted equal pay for women and brought attention to the unjust wages of farm labourers through Shrimati.

She was also an active part of various organisations, including the All India Women’s Congress. Throughout her legal career, Chandy managed to handle multiple cases that left a mark on the history of the legal system. Post her retirement, she worked with the Law Commission of India and published her autobiography, Aatmakatha, before passing away in 1996.

When we look back into the history of the Indian judicial system, Anna Chandy shines like the North Star, guiding us all towards equality and justice.