Girijabai Madhav Kelkar ( mr, गिरिजाबाई माधव केळकर) (1886–1980) was a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

and writer from India. The performance of her play led to many debates about women's rights and the concept of gender roles. She was president of 23rd ''Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Sammelan'' (All-India Marathi Theatre Meet) of

Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad Akhila Bhāratīya Marāṭhī Nāṭya Pariṣhad is a Marathi theatre Marathi theatre is theatre in the Marathi language, mostly originating or based in the state of Maharashtra in India, and elsewhere with Marathi diaspora. Starting in t ...

held in 1928 at Pune. She was sister-in-law of

Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar (N. C. Kelkar), popularly known as Sahityasamrat Tatyasaheb Kelkar (24 August 1872 – 14 October 1947), was a lawyer from Miraj as well as a dramatist, novelist, short story writer, poet, biographer, critic, historia ...

. She married into a family of illustrious

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

literary figures. She was encouraged by her husband to pursue Marathi literature as a profession, and thus fulfill her aspirations. She was a prolific writer who promoted Marathi language and literature. She started Bhagini Mandal, a women's organisation in Jalgaon. She was the president of the All India Hindu Mahila Parishad in 1935. Her works include ''Purushanche Band'' en's Rebellionand ''Striyanche Swarga'' omen's Paradise Padma Anagol describes her views on women's oppression as complex, which found themselves expressed in her works. According to her, the play ''Purushanche Banda'' was written to "counteract the effects of vilification of Indian women" by Khadilkar's play ''Striyancha Band'' omen's Rebellion The ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature'' describes her work as inspired by

Apte Apte it is an Indian surname mostly found in Maharashtrian Chitpavan Brahmins. * Arvind Apte (born 1934), Indian cricketer *Babasaheb Apte (1903–1971), an early RSS pracharak *Balavant Apte, Bal Apte or Balasaheb Apte (1939–2012), BJP politicia ...

. Her work describes "women's suffering in the frame work of family life, moderately protesting against social injustice". She strongly identified herself with the traditional Hindu notions of femininity, with a mystified role as spouse and mother, asking for trivial concessions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelkar, Girijabai Madhav 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers Indian feminist writers 1886 births 1980 deaths Marathi-language writers Marathi people 19th-century Indian women 19th-century Indian people Indian Hindus Hindu feminists